The Sound of Madness
by BreakingBadLikeABoss
Summary: Post TDKR. Bane has survived and is imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. He meets a young woman named Natalie, who is hired to make and administer his pain medication. The two of them learn to trust each other and become friends, but what happens when they are thrown into a life or death situation together? Can they survive, or will they be consumed by the fire? Rated T for now. May change
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: I saw the Dark Knight Rises and I just absolutely fell in love with Bane, so I decided to write this. I do not own anything from TDKR or any of their characters. I only own my OCs. Please read and review! This is my first fan fiction to write and I want it to be amazing, so comments and suggestions are welcome! With that being said enjoy the story and let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

The day was absolutely perfect. It was sunny and seventy degrees without a cloud in the sky. Natalie revved up her four wheeler and took off down the rocky ledge. The wind whipped her hair around and she screamed in delight. She forgot all of her cares as she flew down the ledge. She was alive; more alive than she had been in awhile, and it felt great.

Ever since her fiancée John had died, Natalie had taken to four wheeling as a hobby. Generally, Natalie was a very happy, fun, easy going, young woman. Sometimes her grief got to be too much, and she just needed the wind in her hair, and the rocks under her tires as she hit the trails. She rode until the sun set, just enjoying the outdoors. Once it began to get dark, she knew it was time to go. Tomorrow was a Tuesday, and she had to go to work. Natalie loaded up her four wheeler onto the small trailer that was hooked up to her Jeep Rubicon, and began to drive back into the city. She lived in Gotham, so she was pretty much the only person in the city who owned a Jeep. Most people just bought small cars since the streets were always crowded, but Natalie loved her jeep and would never dream of selling it. She was also probably the only person in Gotham to own a four wheeler. She had to drive forty five minutes from the city to even find a place to ride.

The drive home was uneventful and Natalie was home within an hour. She owned a small house on the outskirts of Gotham, which she shared with her dog, Blackjack. The house was a small two bedroom/two bathroom with hardwood floors. It was painted a smoky gray color on the inside, and was decorated with Texas stars and a framed Texas flag in the living room, that served as a reminder of where she was from and where her heart was. She loved Texas, but after John's death, she needed a change, so she had moved to Gotham at the urging of her best friend from college, who was originally from there.

She had lived in Gotham for about six months now, and it had grown on her some, but she didn't love it like she loved Texas. When she had moved to Gotham she had been able to get the house for a relatively cheap price. That whole ordeal with that mercenary, Bane, had just ended, and people were moving as far away from Gotham as possible. She almost didn't move there, but her friend, Kate, had assured her that stuff like that didn't happen all the time.

Natalie unlocked the door and walked into the house. Her dog, Blackjack, was waiting at the door to greet her. Blackjack was Natalie's three year old German Shepherd, but he wasn't your ordinary German Shepherd. He was solid black, looked like a wolf, and was extremely protective of Natalie. " Hey boy!" she exclaimed, walking through the door. " I missed you! Did you miss me too?" Blackjack barked twice in response, and cocked his head to the side, like a typical German Shepherd. Natalie scratched him behind the ears, and he followed her into the living room, always right at her side. She turned on the TV, and then headed into the kitchen to make some dinner. She made Hamburger Helper for her and Blackjack. Feeding a one hundred and twenty pound German Shepherd was not cheap, so she always let him have some of her food along with his dog food.

As she was cooking, she thought of what she needed to do for work the next day. Natalie was a biology and chemistry teacher at Gotham High School. She had just graduated college right before she moved, so this was her first job as an adult. Previously she had worked as a pharmacy technician all through high school and college, so when she had moved to Gotham, the pharmaceutical company that was located there had been very interested in her, because of her experience in pharmacy. It also didn't hurt that she practically had a laboratory in her classroom, so on the weekends, and in her spare time, she helped the company develop and test prescription drugs, specifically pain medications. Some days she felt like Walter White on Breaking Bad, but she enjoyed what she did, and the pay was significant.

Thinking of nothing that she needed to do to get ready for the next day, she grabbed her food and made her way to the couch. She sat down and Blackjack jumped up beside her. There was a Walking Dead marathon on AMC that she thoroughly intended on watching. Just as she was screaming at Glen to not let the others lower him down into the well with the walker, her phone rang. It was Marc Roberts, her boss from the pharmaceutical company. Wondering why on earth he could possibly be calling her this late, she answered the phone.

" Hello," she said, a bit annoyed. "Hey Natalie, this is Marc," he replied. "I'm calling you because I need to talk to you about a job we need you to do for us."

Now she was really annoyed. Could this not wait until morning? She thought to herself. "What kind of job?' she asked. "An important one," he answered. "How soon can you get down here?" Natalie furrowed her eyebrows together. Now she was annoyed AND confused. "Tonight?" she asked. "I can be there in thirty minutes. Is this that important?" "It's very important," he said. "We will make it worth your time if you meet with us tonight and agree to do this." She thought about it for a second, and then agreed to meet him, hanging up the phone.

She scratched Blackjack behind the ears, grabbed her keys, locked the door, and started up her Jeep. This was too interesting to pass up. She wanted to hear what they had to say.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Natalie arrived at Marc's office right on time. She was wearing jeans, her Devil Wears Prada t-shirt, and her cowboy boots, since she hadn't had time to change into something more professional. Marc met her at the door, taking in her attire.

"Glad you could make it," he said quickly. "Come with me." They walked down the hallway and into a conference room at the end of the hall. The room was bare except for a large table, chairs, and a few pictures of Gotham on the walls. A large, burly man stood in the center of the room. He had a military type haircut and a no-nonsense look on his face. "My name is General George Reamer," the burly man said, getting straight to business.

"My name is Natalie Ford," she replied. "What can I do for you?" He looked her up and down, taking in her appearance with a disapproving look. Great… she thought.

"I work at Arkham Asylum as chief officer over the prisoners there," he continued. "I have called you here tonight because I need your help with one of our prisoners. Have you heard of the mercenary, Bane?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes, I have," she replied. "But I don't really see how this pertains to me…" She was confused and beginning to get really irritated with all the formalities. "Just tell me what it is you called me down here for," she said, her irritation beginning to show.

"Bane has been with us at Arkham for about seven months now, and he requires a very special blend of pain medication, dispensed in aerosol form through his mask in order to survive," he spoke cautiously, obviously trying not to make Natalie angry. "Without his mask, he experiences unbearable pain, and would die very quickly. When we took custody of him, we raided his supplies, and we found a lot of his pain medication. We have been using that successfully thus far, but we are running out very quickly."

He paused to let her take in what he was saying. "Miss Ford," he continued. "We need your expertise, so we can make more of his pain medication."

Natalie stared at the general, taking in what he was asking her to do. She phrased her words carefully. "So…" she said. "Let me get this straight… You're asking me to make some pain meds for this guy so he can live, when you're just going to end up killing him anyway after he goes to trail? Why not just let him die?" she asked.

The general took in her words for a long time before answering. "Essentially yes," he said. "That is what I am asking of you. I want to see that son of a bitch go to trial and pay for what he's done to Gotham. We will give you two thousand dollars a week to help us keep him alive. All you need to do is make the stuff and come to Arkham once a week to help administer it."

Natalie thought about it for a minute, choosing her words carefully before replying. "How exactly am I going to be administering this drug?" she asked. She had visions of going in the cell with this man, and getting snapped in half. Natalie wasn't about that life. She had no intentions of dying anytime soon.

"No need to worry Miss Ford," the general said. "We will send a guard with you, and he will sedate Bane before you go in there. All you have to do is inject the medication into his mask, and the mask will turn it into aerosol form for him."

She thought about what he had said for some time. She was interested in meeting this man that had almost destroyed Gotham. She also liked the challenge of making his medication. It would be difficult, and she looked forward to it. The pay was good, and made the job worth her time. After much deliberation, she finally spoke. "Ok, I'm in," she said.

The general smiled at her, an odd look for him, and handed her a file. "These are his files," he said. "We have documented every drug we think was in his pain medication. Just look at the analysis and see if you can put something together for us. Call me by the end of the week, and we will get you down to Arkham to administer the drug."

They shook hands and Natalie left. She knew that she was going to spend the rest of the night pouring over Bane's file, and trying to make a drug that worked for him. It was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Sorry about the lack of Bane in the last two chapters. I just needed to set the story up so you know a little bit about Natalie an why she will be working with Bane, but he's in this chapter, I promise! As always, read and review if you want. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

A few days later, Natalie had finally finished the drug. She was exhausted, and a total mess. She hadn't left the house other than to go to work, and she had barely slept, but she was very pleased with the final product.

She had taken Hydrocodone, Morphine Sulfate, Acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol), Codeine Phosphate, and Phenobarbital; ground it up into a fine powder, and added it to a Codeine elixir, forming a liquid pain medication. It was extremely strong, and Natalie nicknamed it Venom, because of the bite. She called General Reamer to tell him the good news.

"It's finished," she said. "Very good," he replied. "Can you come out to Arkham today? He's been in pain this morning, and could use some as soon as possible."

Natalie was glad it hadn't taken her longer to finish. She didn't want to see anyone in pain, not even a man like Bane. "Of course," she said. "I can be there around five."

After he had given her directions to Arkham, she hung up the phone and continued on with her day like normal. After she left work, she headed over to Arkham Asylum. Natalie walked through the doors, and was met by an array of security officers. She had to go through two metal detectors. The 9mm handgun she had a license for, and normally carried with her for safety, was confiscated until the end of her visit, as were the knives she kept in her purse and her boots. They were all business here, she thought. The guards looked surprised that she would carry that many weapons on her, but they let her pass through after they finished disarming her.

General Reamer met Natalie just inside the complex. "Ah, you've made it. Very good," he said. "Follow me." Natalie trailed behind the general down several hallways, and out into the main prison area.

It was huge. She had never seen anything quite like it. The prison had to be at least twenty stories tall, and there were people shouting at her from their cells. She noticed that most of the prisoners were men, although she did spot a few women. Their cells were dark, dank, and looked very uncomfortable. All they had in their cells was a toilet, a sink, and a bed. The prisoners yelled, jeered, and cat called at her as she walked by. Natalie ignored them and continued following the general to an elevator on the other side of the main prison area.

They boarded the elevator and the general pressed the button for the top floor. When they reached their destination, the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. "Are you ready?" he asked her. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be I guess," she answered, pulling the syringe of Venom from her purse.

She followed him all the way down to the end of the cell block, once again ignoring all the prisoners that were vying for her attention, until the came upon a large cell that was a little bit away from all the others. That was when she saw him.

Bane was sitting at the edge of his bed, watching them with interest. He was hands down the largest man she had ever seen. He was probably every bit six foot, five inches and three hundred pounds. He was wearing a tight black muscle shirt, military style cargo pants, and combat boots. Bane was all muscle, chiseled to perfection like a body builder, but what caught Natalie's interest the most was the mask he wore. The mask covered half of his face; only his cheek bones and his eyes showed, and there were metal tubes intricately placed on the mouthpiece of his mask.

His eyes swept over her briefly, and she noticed that they registered an emotion, that she recognized; pain. "He's hurting," she said. "Let's get this done quickly."

A young man walked up behind them, right as Natalie finished speaking. He was tall and thin, with shaggy black hair, and pale skin. General Reamer nodded at him, and then addressed Natalie.

"Natalie, this is Mike. He takes care of Bane, and many of our other prisoners. He makes sure they get food, water, and other necessities," he paused before continuing. "Mike is going to sedate Bane for you, so you can go in the cell with him and administer his pain meds."

She nodded and watched as Mike entered into the cell, with a syringe in one hand, and a nightstick in the other. "Get down on the ground and put your hands above your head!" Mike yelled. Bane looked at him, anger flashing across his eyes, and ignored his command. Mike's face turned red with anger, and a sickening crack rang out as the nightstick made contact with Bane's face. Bane, however, seemed unphased by the blow.

Bane quickly stood up, grabbed Mike by the throat, and began to crush his windpipe with his bare hands. Mike cried out in pain, and Bane almost succeeded, but was stopped short as a wave of pain washed over him. He stumbled back, letting go of Mike, who quickly grabbed his nightstick. He reared back, about to strike Bane again, when someone yelled "STOP!"

Everyone turned and looked at Natalie, who was moving towards the cell, fists clenched, and rage burning in her eyes. "Don't touch him," she growled. "Can't you see he's in pain? Striking him and provoking him are not necessary." She was absolutely furious, more livid than she had been in her entire twenty-four years of life.

Bane sat down on his bed, his huge chest heaving from the pain, but his eyes were on Natalie, and she knew that she had his undivided attention now. She spoke up as calmly as she could. Her next words would be her most important, and would either make her or break her in the eyes of these men. "I'll go in there," she said calmly. "I'll give him the Venom without sedation,"

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The general, Mike, and even Bane, all looked at her like she was crazy. Her blue eyes met Bane's green ones for a moment, and she couldn't help but think of how beautiful they were; so expressive. He didn't need a nose or a mouth with eyes like those.

Bane quickly nodded at her, and she took that to mean that he was okay with her coming into the cell. Mike chuckled and walked out of the cell. "Your funeral," he said. The general offered her a gun or a nightstick, both of which she declined. She would never earn Bane's trust that way, and if she was going to be doing this every week, she needed him to trust her, or at least be okay with her presence.

Natalie remembered back a year and a half ago when she had been home alone one night, with only Blackjack to keep her company. Her parents and John had both had advised her against getting the dog. German Shepherds were at the top of the list of aggressive dogs, and they were worried about her. She had ignored them, and brought him home when he was only a cute, fuzzy, little pup. He had instantly bonded with her and never left her side. That night, someone broke into her house trying to rob her. It had been terrifying. The man was desperate and he came at her with a gun. Blackjack saved her life that night. He had jumped up and clamped his jaws down on the man's throat, giving Natalie enough time to call 911. The man later died from loss of blood, but Blackjack had also been injured in the fight. Natalie remembered taking him to the vet, and the bullet wound in his shoulder. None of the vets could get near him without him lashing out and trying to bite them. When dogs are injured and in pain, they don't always tend to act nice. She had to hold him down, so that the vets could get the bullet out. She was the only person that he wouldn't hurt. She remembered the trust he held for her, and how because of that trust, the vets had been able to extract the bullet.

This was an entirely different situation, but she could still apply the same concept. She needed Bane's trust.

Natalie took a deep breath and stepped into the cell, armed only with her syringe of Venom. Bane watched her as she walked towards him, never taking his eyes away from her. She was afraid. She knew that he could sense her fear, but he didn't move. She approached very slowly, until she was standing next to him. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself before speaking.

"I'll be quick," she said gently. "I'm going to unfasten one of the tubes on your mask, and inject this into the tube. Your mask should turn this into aerosol form, and the pain should stop within a minute or two."

She was very slow and deliberate in her movements as she reached for his mask and started to loosen one of the tubes. He was still watching her, but he made no move to stop her. There was a hiss as she pulled one of the tubes away from the mask. Bane's face contorted in pain. Natalie quickly injected the Venom into the tube, and started to fasten it back to the mask.

When she was finished, she stood there and waited to see if it would work. Everything within her was screaming at her to get out of the cell, and watch from the outside, but for some reason she couldn't leave. It was like she was glued there.

Bane fascinated her. That was part of the reason that she took this job in the first place, sheer curiosity.

The pain left Bane's eyes, and Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. It had worked. She had done it. She was about to turn around and walk out of the cell, when she felt Bane's massive hand grab her arm.

She froze. Was this it? Was he going to kill her now? She was wondering what it would feel like to have her neck snapped, when she finally looked at him, paralyzed in fear. He was staring at her, again, his eyes seeming to cut right through her, piercing into her soul. He nodded once, as if to say thank you, and then he let go of her arm. Natalie was relieved he hadn't killed her, and very confused by their interaction.

She nodded back, and walked quickly out of the cell, and down the hall. Both Mike and the general both looked at her with disbelief on their faces. Mike locked Bane's cell back, and the two men followed her down the hall.

To say that today had been stressful would be a major understatement. Natalie needed a fucking drink after that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you guys for reading, following, reviewing, and all that good stuff! It means a lot to me, and makes me want to write more, so thank you! Here's chapter four! It may take me a little longer to get the next chapter out, because I'm currently unhappy with what I've written, and will probably do quite a bit of editing before posting it. So read, review if you want, and enjoy!**

Chapter 4

Bane paced back and forth in his cell. Most days he felt like a lion that was trapped in an incredibly small cage, flexing his muscles, and waiting for an escape. Like any wild animal, he needed to be free. His daily routine consisted of eating breakfast, pushups, pacing his cell, taking a nap, chin ups, pacing his cell again, boxing with the other inmates during his "free time", eating dinner, and sleeping. What an absolutely boring and totally predictable life.

Today he was hungry. He didn't get breakfast like usual. Mike was obviously still upset with him after the events of the previous day, but no matter. Bane would kill him when the opportunity presented itself. He often thought of the satisfaction he would get as he ripped Mike apart, and watched the life drain from his sad, pathetic eyes. The sickening crack of his back breaking would be music to Bane's ears. The spineless little bastard… How dare he defy Bane? When the time came, Bane would make sure his death was painful. In fact, he would love to kill everyone in this prison, slowly and skillfully…. Everyone that is, except for maybe her.

Natalie, they had said her name was. She was the young woman who had given him the pain medication. Yes, he thought to himself, perhaps he would spare her… She intrigued him very much.

When he had first laid eyes on her, he had thought her beautiful, but not in the traditional sense of the word. Natalie was small and thin, but athletic looking. He could tell that she worked out a lot. She was muscle, where most women were frail. Natalie had dark brown hair that fell down to the center of her back, and pretty grayish blue eyes. She was pretty, but what had caught his interest the most about her appearance had been the scars. She had small scars in various places all over her arms and hands. These were the kind of scars that marked a person who did a lot of difficult outdoor work, not the kind of scars that women usually carried. Bane had also noticed that Natalie had a few scars on her face, under her nose, and that her nose was slightly crooked, like she had broken it at some point in time.

No, Natalie was not the Hollywood version of beauty, but Bane found her attractive. Not that he would ever tell her that. Her scars and her crooked nose gave her character that most women lacked. She intrigued bane, and that intrigue had been further compounded by the courage that she had displayed when she came into the cell with him unarmed. She was ballsy. He had to give her that.

Natalie had a fiery spirit about her that he had seen when she yelled at Mike to stop hitting him. Her spirit was strong, and the thought of it excited him. A part of him wanted to break her, and see just how strong she was, while the other part of him wanted to preserve that spirit, since it was so rare. He reveled in the thought of challenging her both intellectually and emotionally. He grinned behind his mask at that thought. She would return next week, and he would play with her then. She was going to challenge him, and he liked it.

The week went by in a blur for Natalie. All she could think about was Bane and their interaction. She had been very foolish. She was aware of that. He could have easily snapped her neck, and he still might. Her temper and her big mouth had put her in a situation that she was going to have to live with now.

Natalie knew that if she wanted Bane sedated while she was in the cell with him, that she was going to have to ask the general nicely to do it; and she was much too proud for that. She would not beg. Her pride would most likely be her downfall, she thought grimly to herself.

She had dinner with her friend, Kate, one evening, and told her all about it. Kate was concerned, and had been calling frequently. She begged Natalie to swallow her pride, and have him sedated from now on, but she knew that she was fighting a losing battle. Natalie's brother, Robert, had also been concerned when she had told him. Natalie and Robert were very close. He was the only relative of hers that she cared to speak to, and even though he lived far away, he was concerned for her well-being. He also, tried to persuade her to swallow her pride, but she would not listen.

The time came, and Natalie went back to Arkham. She was once again disarmed by the guards and ushered through the main complex to the elevator, which she took to the top floor. She spoke briefly with the general and Mike. They explained to her that they would on the hall with her, taking care of the other prisoners, and would check on her periodically to make sure she was okay. Great… she thought. I'm on my own, and they really do hate me… They wished her luck, and gave her the keys to Bane's cell. She cursed herself for not swallowing her pride, but it was too late for that now.

She walked towards Bane's cell alone. She knew that there were cameras by the cell, guards down the hall, and that the general would keep watch over her, but she was still shaky. They had a lot of faith in her. If only she had that much faith in herself.

When she reached Bane's cell at the end of the hall, she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. She pulled the syringe of Venom from her purse. Bane was watching her, but he made no effort to move. His breathing was slow and rhythmic, and his eyes never strayed from her or lost their intensity.

Taking another deep breath, Natalie unlocked the cell and stepped inside. She froze when he spoke. "You need not fear me, little one," he said softly. Her heart pounded in her chest. That was the first time she had heard him speak, and it was strange. His voice sounded mechanical, but it was strong, and almost had a velvet quality to it. Natalie was in shock that he had spoken to her. She found herself wishing for him to speak again, and she wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe, so that she could wake up from whatever sick, fear paralyzed nightmare she was locked in right now.

He looked her up and down, stopping when his green eyes met hers, then he spoke again. "I have no intentions of harming you." His voice was almost a purr, and Natalie shivered, but this time, it was not in a fearful way. She felt sick, but she couldn't let this man get the better of her. She found her courage and then spoke up.

"Of course you won't harm me," she said cheekily. She had decided to overcome her fear of being snapped in half for the time being. "You need me." She was being overly bold now, and she knew it. Bane was just a man, albeit a very powerful one, and she would be damned if she was going to let him terrorize her.

He seemed to be taking in her words with a cold and calculating precision. Bane was a man who did not speak in haste, and when he said something, he meant it. He finally spoke. "Your pride and arrogance will be your undoing," he growled "I do not need you…or anyone else for that matter. Needing others is a weakness that I simply do not have the luxury of allowing myself." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "I have allowed you to administer my pain medication, but I do not need your help. Dying would be acceptable with me, so long as I am not weakened by pathetic human sentiments." He looked at Natalie with a mixture of anger and amusement in his eyes.

"Although your courage is quite refreshing," he continued. "It is not often that I get to observe such reckless bravery in a woman like yourself. Most cower before me, but not you." He paused for a moment and met her eyes. "What is your name, little one?" he asked.

Natalie was done with fear. She would not back down to him. She looked him directly in the eyes, and spoke with no fear in her voice. "My name is Natalie," she said.

"Natalie," he purred. "That is a beautiful name, and very fitting for you." Bane spoke with such enthusiasm, that Natalie couldn't help but laugh. Probably not the brightest idea she had had in a while, but it was too late to take it back now.

Bane's brow furrowed in confusion. He was not angry, just very confused. "Do you find me amusing?" he asked. "Yes, very," she said grinning from ear to ear, already beginning to feel more comfortable with him. "Why do you find me so amusing?" he asked, confusion written on his face. "I am not known for my humor."

She just grinned even more. "You have so much enthusiasm for someone your size, and it seems out of place," she said. His eyes squinted up a bit at the edges and she heard him chuckle. His eyes took her in as she grinned at him. She was absolutely breathtaking when she smiled. Her eyes kind of squinted, and she had a dimple in one cheek. Her lips were full, and her teeth were white and perfectly straight.

He was reminded of a very young and carefree Talia, back in their days in the Pit. After her father had been killed, Talia had never smiled again. She was so bent on avenging her father's death, that it had completely consumed her, like a fire consumes a forest of cedar trees. She was never the same. Bane had loved her at one time, but she was too consumed with vengeance to care. Her plan had been the most important thing in her life, and when Bane was no longer useful to her, she had left him to die by himself. These thoughts ran through his head as he looked at Natalie. She was not Talia, but she was still a woman, and he could not let her cloud his thoughts.

Natalie walked over to Bane, smile still on her face, and started working with his mask. She tried to be gentle with him, even though she was still new at this. "Where are you from, Natalie?" he asked. "I know you're not from around here, that much is certain."

She was silent for a moment, as if deciding whether or not she should tell him the truth. "Texas," she finally responded. "I'm from Texas. I moved here about six months ago."

Bane looked her in the eyes now. "And you don't love it here." He said simply. "I can tell by the way you talk about moving." She was dumbfounded. Was it that obvious? "No, it's not my favorite place," she said. "But thanks to you I did manage to get a good deal on my house." She grinned again, and Bane couldn't help but chuckle. She was so full of life.

Natalie finished with the Venom, and hooked his mask back together. Bane inhaled deeply, and then spoke again. "Why did you move here?" he asked.

Her happy demeanor quickly became downcast. "I… I just had to get away," she responded, not meeting his eyes. She quickly turned the conversation to him. "Where are you from?" she asked. He looked at her for a moment, and then answered quietly. "Hell on earth," he said. "A place they call the Pit." He didn't elaborate, and she was about to ask him more about it, when the general yelled down the hall at them.

"Miss Ford, are you alright?" he yelled. "I'm fine!" she shouted back. "I was just leaving." She turned to Bane and spoke quickly. "I better go," she said. "I'll be back next week." She smiled and quickly walked out of the cell, locking the door behind her. Great… she thought to herself. I'm officially the craziest person in the world…


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you guys for all the reviews! I got this chapter edited more quickly than I thought I would. This may or may not be my last chapter before I have to go back to work on Monday. Spring Break was awesome, but I have to go back and be the responsible adult that I'm supposed to be, but rarely am. So with that being said, I won't get to update as often, but I promise I will finish this story! Also, if there is something you guys want to see happen, or if you have any suggestions for me please let me know! I have the general outline to this story worked out in my head, but there's always room for improvement, and I want to make reading this worth your time. So read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 5

Natalie wasn't quite sure what was wrong with her. She had just had a conversation with a man that had killed countless numbers of people, without so much as a second thought. The terrifying realization that she had actually ENJOYED talking to him was paralyzing.

Bane was a monster, albeit a very intelligent and interesting monster, but a monster nonetheless. When she had been in the cell with him, she had seemed to forget about that. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him. Even with the mask, he was a handsome man. He was physically imposing, and that alone had impressed her; but he was also intelligent and purposeful in his words and his actions, and his eyes were so beautiful and expressive.

Natalie needed to remember whom she was dealing with. Bane was a dangerous man, and entertaining the idea of a relationship of any kind with him would be foolish of her. Even a friendship with him would end badly. He was, in effect, a dead man walking. He would have to go to trial eventually, and there was not way that they would let him live after what he did. She quickly shook all thoughts of him away, determined not to think of him in that way again.

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The next few weeks went by quickly. Natalie worked and went to see Bane once a week to give him his Venom. She was still going into the cell by herself, and he was still being cooperative. She didn't speak to him too much, not out of fear, but mostly because she couldn't trust herself not to befriend him.

Bane had been respectful of her silence, but he chose to break it on the third week. "I've come to enjoy your company," he said, his mechanical voice full of enthusiasm. "Perhaps you could stay a little longer when you come to see me? The conversation in this place is absolutely horrid, and I would love to have a conversation with someone that is not about cutting people up, rape, and cigarettes," he chuckled a bit to himself before continuing. "If you are afraid to be this close to me, you can lock the cell and sit outside."

He looked at Natalie expecting an answer. His eyes made contact with hers, and he nodded, as if to convince her that she had to agree. "I don't think it would be a good idea," she said hesitantly. Bane's brow furrowed at her words. He would not take no for answer.

"You are afraid," he said smugly, crossing his massive arms over his chest. Natalie bowed up to him. "I'm not afraid of you," she said, her voice strong and unwavering.

Bane stood up to his full height and walked over to her, his footsteps heavy on the concrete floor. He towered over her as he moved closer to Natalie. He stopped when he was about six inches from her. His broad chest was about the same height as her shoulders, and she was eye level with his mask. Bane's presence was strong to the point of overpowering. His scent was intoxicating. It was some kind of mixture of earth, leather, gasoline, and soap. It suited him, she thought. For a moment Natalie couldn't breathe.

Bane gently reached out and ran his massive hands through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. Her hair was notorious for always being in her face. Then he gently placed his fingers under her chin, and tilted her head up, so that he could look her in the eyes. Natalie shivered, but didn't push him away. His hands were rough, but warm, and his touch left her breathless. His green eyes were intense, and she could hear his heavy breath from the mouthpiece of his mask.

Bane looked at her for a long moment before he finally spoke. "It is not me that you fear, that much is certain," he said confidently. His voice was almost a purr now, and it made Natalie shiver in delight. "You do not shy away from my touch. No, I think you are afraid of something else."

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, his eyes cutting through her like knives. It was almost as if he was trying to read her thoughts, or peer into her very soul. He never once removed his hand from her chin.

"You are brave," he said. "You do not cower before me as most would, and you bravery is not the result of a hatred for me, like most of the people here. I know this, because you are gentle with me, and always kind to me." He seemed to be thinking to himself as he spoke, as if trying to unearth what made her tick.

"You do not let your emotions rule you, except for maybe pride, and you seem rational in your thought process. You know of all the people that have died at my hands, but you are not afraid of me. I think…" his voice wandered off for a moment before he responded. "I think that you are afraid of getting close to me; afraid of caring. You are afraid that you might form some sort of friendship with me, and then lose me when they take me to trail." Bane sounded triumphant now, like a kid who's parents just told him that he could have his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese.

Bane let go of her chin and crossed his massive arms over his chest. "Am I right?" he asked triumphantly, his eyes dancing like she had never seen before. Natalie didn't know how to respond. He had seen right through her, and he was right. She feared caring about him. Ever since John had died, she had avoided relationships with other people, both friendships and otherwise. How had he seen this? Either he was the world's most observant and intuitive person, or she was easier to read than she thought.

"Well?" he pressed gently. "You're right," Natalie responded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to care about anyone. Caring about people makes you weak, and you always end up hurt."

Bane's eyes widened a bit at her response, but the shock in his eyes was quickly replaced by another emotion. Curiosity? Admiration? She wasn't sure, but she knew that he found her fascinating. She secretly found him fascinating as well, and wanted to know more about him.

"Please humor me," he said. "Stay and talk to me next week when you come. I would really enjoy your company." She was hesitant, but curiosity got the better of her, and she finally agreed. "Okay," she said. "As long as the general is okay with it."

His eyes crinkled up at the corners, and Natalie knew he was smiling under the mask. She said her goodbyes and left for the night, his words still haunting her.

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Bane was pleased with himself. Natalie would now be talking to him on a regular basis. He had turned his charm on, as well as his powers of persuasion, but he was getting exactly what he wanted. Bane always got exactly what he wanted. He was not a man to take no for an answer. Natalie intrigued him, and he looked forward to mentally picking her apart. He needed to earn her trust, and then he could play with her a little bit.

He had played with her today, messed with her head, and discovered yet another piece of the puzzle that was Natalie Ford. Bane would not lie to himself about wanting her. She was beautiful, but he didn't need to form any emotional ties to this girl. Right now, he just wanted to play with her and pick her brain. Maybe he would break her when the time was right, and maybe not. God knows he needed some form of entertainment in this prison, other than picking fights with the other inmates.

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Before Natalie left Arkham, she decided to talk to General Reamer. She found him in his office. The room was plain except for an entire wall of monitors, all showing the prison. "Sir," she said, knocking on the door. He acknowledged her, and ushered her in with a wave of his hand.

"What do you need?" he asked. She paused for a moment in thought before answering. "Sir," she began. "I was wondering if it would be okay if I could stay a little longer when I come over here and talk with Bane for awhile."

The general diverted his eyes from the screens and eyed her with a look of confusion on his face. "You want to talk to him? Willingly?" His brow furrowed. "Yes," she said. He seemed dubious for a moment, and then he agreed. "That's okay I guess," he said. "It's not like he gets visitors anyways. Mike talks to the Joker all the time, so I don't see any harm in letting you talk to Bane."

"Wait…" she said quickly. "Mike talks to the Joker? Why would he do that?" she asked skeptically. The general shrugged. "He just wants to. The same reason you want to talk to Bane," he said. "Go ahead, just be careful."

Natalie began to ask him the questions that had been on her mind since day one. "Sir if you don't mind my inquiry, why is Bane here in the first place? He's not exactly insane. And why is security here so lax? I mean, you just gave me the key to his cell." This had troubled her every time she had visited, and she wanted some answers.

The general laughed for a moment before answering her. The laugh sounded strange on him, like a dying animal. Natalie inwardly winced at the sound. "I see this has been bothering you," he said. "Bane is not insane, but he is here because the cells at Blackgate prison are not strong enough to hold him. As for security, each inmate is implanted with a tracking chip upon entering the prison. These chips are linked up with an electrical charge system. When the prisoners exit their cells without authorization, I am alerted, and all I have to do is press a button, and our would-be escapee is shocked with a high voltage. This is enough to make their heart stop momentarily, and they're on the ground before they can take ten steps down the hallway. If I press the button twice, it sends enough shock to stop their heart for good, effectively killing them."

The general looked pleased with himself as he told her about security. "So we don't need a whole lot of man power here." Natalie found the answer sufficient and thanked him, leaving to go home for the night.

She wasn't sure what would happen during her upcoming conversations with Bane, but she found herself looking forward to it. It was a strange feeling, but for the first time in a long time, she was excited about something.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all the follows and reviews! This chapter is longer, but was fun for me to write, because I got to put a little bit of myself into it. So read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 6

The first few weeks of visiting with Bane were very formal, not unlike trying to make small talk with someone you just met. Natalie stayed outside of his cell, and Bane usually sat on his bed or leaned against the bars. Their conversation usually consisted of movies, music, books, and the weather. Natalie asked him about prison life and what it was like. She jokingly asked if he traded food, cigarettes, and nail files with the other inmates, and what happened if he dropped the soap in the shower, to which Bane just groaned and rolled his eyes.

He seemed to be enjoying himself and was always very good-natured with her. Natalie found herself looking forward to her visits more and more with each passing week. After she felt somewhat sure of herself around him, Natalie decided to ask him about what happened in Gotham.

"So, what was it like being the king of Gotham?" she asked jokingly one day. He sighed deeply before answering. "I tired of it quickly," he said honestly. "Taking over the city was easy enough. I'm good with tactical command, but not so much with the politics of running a city. I found it quite dull." He shrugged his shoulders. "Of course the plan was to bring the whole city down, and there was many casualties, but the plan was not successful."

He looked at her for a long moment and then continued. "It is a good thing that you were not here for all of that," he said. Natalie was glad she hadn't been there as well. She wanted to know more though, and she phrased her next question carefully. "Why did you do it?" she asked him. "Take over the city, I mean."

Bane observed her, and remained silent for some time. "I am, by default, the leader of a group called the League of Shadows," he said. "This group is in existence for the sole purpose of bringing balance to the world by helping those who are less fortunate than others. There is so much injustice in the world, that someone needs to step up and fix the problem, and that someone is me." He looked pleased with himself as he spoke.

"So…" Natalie said. "You took over Gotham because of the injustice?" She was not sure where this conversation was going. "Yes," he said. "Gotham needed to be returned to the people, and I did that."

"Was all of the bloodshed necessary?" she asked. "Innocent people died because of your sense of injustice." She was testing his patience today. Bane shook off his irritation at her as best as he could, and chuckled a bit at her boldness. "So tell me," he said. "What would you have done about the injustice? Sometimes freedom requires sacrifice, and sacrifice is not always pretty."

Natalie thought to herself before responding. "I personally am a bit of a Social Darwinist," she said. "I don't necessarily believe in taking from the rich and giving to the poor. I think the government is crippling our citizens by giving them handouts. Let's get rid of the government and let the rest sort itself out. The strong will survive, and the weak won't make it. You should have to work for what you have, and the amount of wealth you have should be proportional to the amount of work you perform to build your home and your community. " Bane was interested in what she had to say. She had his full attention. He leaned against the bars of the cell, crossing his arms over his massive chest, making the muscles in his arms seem even larger than usual. Natalie tried not to stare, but it was difficult. "And how would you go about ridding Gotham of the corrupt?" he asked.

"Easy," she said. "I would go in, take out the government, and give the city back to the people. They could elect new officials that were not corrupted by dirty money, and start over." He nodded in approval at her response. "And what happens when they don't all agree on their new leaders?" he asked. "Well…" she said. "I would choose someone for them."

Bane's eyes crinkled up at the edges, and Natalie could tell he was smiling under the mask. "Dictator Natalie," he said, poking fun at her. "It has a nice ring to it… And tell me, my little dictator…" He leaned in as close to the bars of the cell as he possibly could, making eye contact with her. "What would you do when they don't like your choice, challenge your authority as their leader, and cause dissention among your new community." Natalie met his gaze. "Well I… aw damn it…" she said, knowing she had lost this argument.

Bane laughed. The sound was mechanical and strange but pleasant, and Natalie found herself laughing too. "So you see," he said triumphantly. "A little bloodshed is necessary to any revolution, and I do like your idea of Social Darwinism. I've never thought of that before." He seemed deep in thought. "You would have made an interesting addition to my team in Gotham. It's a shame I did not know you before now."

Natalie took his comment as a compliment. "Thanks," she said. They talked for a little bit longer, and then Natalie had to go. She had decided to herself before leaving that she wanted to do something nice for Bane. She knew that he was not a good man, but he wasn't all bad either. If he wanted to, he could have snapped her neck already, and he certainly didn't have to be nice to her like he was.

Maybe it was crazy, but while they had talked, she had actually understood the reasoning behind what he did. Granted, it was twisted and totally unacceptable, but she got it. She decided that next week when she visited, that she would bring him some books to read. Maybe they were forming some sort of friendship after all.

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The next week Natalie went to see Bane again. She gave him the Venom as usual, except that she didn't leave his cell afterwards. "I brought something for you," she said. Bane's eyebrows shot up, and his eyes registered a mixture of curiosity and confusion. "Oh really?" he asked, obviously interested. "I suppose I do like surprises." He chuckled a bit, his eyes full of life. "What have you brought for me today?"

She pulled a few books out of her purse, and set them on his bed. "I know you're more of a classics kind of guy, but to me, the classics are kind of the Oscars of books," she said. "They pretty much suck." Bane looked at her with amusement written on his face, and she continued. "I mean seriously," she said. "How many people do you know personally that actually watched that movie Slum Dog Millionaire? It won like fifty Oscar awards, and no one even knows what it's about. So, I brought you some good books instead." Natalie was grinning now.

Bane walked over and started inspecting each of the three books that she had brought for him, flipping through the pages and reading the summaries. "Tom Clancy?" he asked. His brow furrowed and his eyes registered confusion. "Rainbow Six… Patriot Games… The Cardinal and the Kremlin? I didn't know that you were a fan of military novels," he said, the confusion in his face becoming mixed with amusement.

"What's wrong with military novels?" Natalie asked exasperatedly. "Nothing at all, little one," he replied. "I have just never met a woman who was interested in military novels before." His eyes were bright with intrigue, and they crinkled at the edges like they always did when he smiled.

"My dad got me into military novels," she said. "I started reading them when I was ten, and I've loved them ever since. I thought you might enjoy them too." Bane was both impressed and grateful. He had never met a woman who had been interested in military novels, and that impressed him. He was also grateful for her kindness in bringing him these books to read. "Thank you," he replied gratefully. "I do like military novels, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness in bringing these to me."

Natalie was surprised by how well mannered Bane was. He didn't exactly look the type. "You said your dad got you into these?" he asked curiously. "Yes," she responded, clearly not sure why he was so curious.

"Are you and your father close?" Bane asked. Natalie wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to talk to him, but was unsure of totally trusting him. He sensed her hesitancy.

"Natalie," he purred, using the velvet quality in his voice on her. He closed the distance between them until he was less than a foot from her, his beautiful, green eyes never leaving hers. "You want me to trust you, but you don't trust me. Trust is a two way street, little one. I've given you mine, but I need yours, otherwise it's useless. I am your friend, or at least I hope to be. Your trust in me will not be betrayed, and I promise I will never harm you or your family. I just want to know a little more about you." He seemed earnest, and Natalie found herself letting her guard down a little bit.

She began to talk about her family. "We were sort of close, but not really, if that makes any sense," she said carefully. "I loved my dad very much, but he was never home when I was growing up. He traveled all the time with his job. He was always somewhere really cool, and he hardly ever came home, so books were kind of how we bonded. He would always bring me home new books, and I would read them. It gave us something to talk about." Natalie took a deep breath before she continued. "He died a few years ago. He was on his way back home from Italy, and his plane engine blew up. They went down over the Atlantic, no survivors."

She began to tear up a little bit talking about her dad. She quickly caught herself, and held back the tears before they began. Crying was weakness, and she couldn't afford to look weak in front of him. Bane reached out and took her small hand, gently intertwining it with his. Natalie looked slightly shocked, but did not pull away from him. Bane took his other hand and ran it over her cheek and down her chin. She shivered at his touch, and his eyes danced with pleasure.

"I'm sorry about your dad," he said softly. "What about the rest of your family? Do they live here with you?" he asked. "No," she answered. "My mom, my brother, and my sister are still alive, but they live in Texas."

"Tell me about them. What are they like?" he asked, his curiosity evident. Natalie looked frustrated. Her brow furrowed, and she looked annoyed as she spoke about her family. "I love my brother Robert, but I don't really have anything to do with my mom and my sister, Amy. Amy is the perfect little Barbie doll, and my mom sees nothing but disappointment and broken dreams in me." She was angry. Bane could see the bitterness and despair in her normally bright, blue eyes.

"Why is your mom disappointed in you?" he asked. "You seem to have turned out great." Natalie looked away from him, obviously wanting to avoid the topic, but Bane was not going to let it go that easily. She knew this, and when she spoke her voice was full of anger and bitterness.

"She is disappointed in me, because I didn't turn out to be a perfect, prim, and proper woman like Amy," she spat. "Amy was the oldest, and she was perfect. I was the middle kid. When I was three I was diagnosed with ADHD. My mom took me to the doctor because I couldn't ever stay still. Needless to say she was devastated." Natalie's voice took on a mocking quality as she talked about her mom. "When I was six or seven I started getting into fights at school and I was always in trouble for something. She tried to get me to learn manners and act like a girl like Amy did, but I just wanted to fight, shoot guns, and play in the mud. Amy went to boarding school, and turned into the perfect lady, married a senator, and has perfect kids who are in beauty pageants, and my mom is too embarrassed of me to even claim me. I will never be good enough for her, and she reminds me of that every time that I see her. "

The fire was back in her eyes. She had so much spirit, and Bane loved seeing this side of her. "She doesn't appreciate you for who you are," he said simply. "She will regret that someday." Natalie thought she saw sympathy in his eyes, and she became angry with herself. She did not want his sympathy.

"What about your brother?" he asked. "You two are close, right?" She brightened up at the mention of Robert. She loved her brother, that much was certain. "Yes," she said. When I was twelve and he was nine, our mom got cancer. She was so sick, that she couldn't get out of bed for almost a year, and the doctors thought that she wouldn't make it. My dad was never home, and Amy was off at boarding school, so I pretty much raised Robert by myself while our mom was sick. We've been close ever since." Natalie was fiercely loyal to her brother. Bane could see the love that she held for him by just listening to her talk. He felt a strange emotion rise up within him, something akin to jealousy. He had never had a sibling to have that kind of relationship with, and no one had ever shown such a fierce love and loyalty towards him, as she did for her brother.

"You're lucky to have him," he said. Natalie caught the jealousy in his tone, but was unsure of why it was there. "What about your family?" she asked, quickly turning the conversation to him.

Bane chuckled a bit before responding. "I will tell you about my family, but now is not the time. You have shown me trust by telling me of yours, for which I am grateful. In due time, I will talk about mine, but that is a conversation for another day."

Natalie was kind of mad at him. She pulled her hand from his, and gave him a little shove, not hard, but enough to show her annoyance. She pointed at Bane, and put on the angriest face she could muster. "You sir… you suck…" she said. He laughed a bit at her, and promised he would tell her some other time. She was playing with him, for the most part, with her show of anger, and it amused him. It was late, so she said her goodbyes and left for the night. Natalie was more interesting than Bane had originally thought, and he looked forward to talking to her more.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this took so long! I will try to get Chapter 8 up soon. It's finished and I just need to type it up. Thanks for reading. Reviews and suggestions are always appreciated. Enjoy!**

Chapter 7

_It was raining hard outside and Natalie was eating dinner at her house when she got the call. The police chief had called to tell her that her fiancé had been in a car accident. It all seemed surreal, like a bad dream. _

_The police chief came over to her house after he called to pick her up and take her to the scene of the accident. Natalie got into his squad car and remained silent for the entire ride. They drove for a good thirty minutes down back roads and past small convenience stores and restaurants that littered the area near the closest small town. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally arrived. Lights were everywhere, tape was thrown up, and cops were running around the area shouting to each other. _

_Natalie was in shock. She didn't believe it was real until she saw the truck. John drove a black Chevy Z 71, and she recognized the truck as his immediately. What she noticed next repulsed her. The truck was almost completely crushed. Glass shards were everywhere, along with pieces of the bumper, an axle, and two of the doors. The windows were all busted out, and the truck was all warped in on itself, like it had rolled five or six times before stopping._

_She took in the sight, and then she saw the blood. Blood was splattered on the remains of what was once the front windshield. Dark red and sickening, dripping from the windshield, it reminded her of all the zombie movies she had ever watched, but this was much more graphic. This had to be a dream. She felt numb. _

_One of the cops walked over to her, with a folded up paper in his hand, and a look of pity and sympathy on his face. "I'm sorry," he said gently. "He didn't make it. We're loading him up to take him to the hospital right now. I found this in his wallet." He handed the folded up paper to her, and she took it with some hesitancy. "It has your name on the other side," he said. "Thank you," she finally responded after some time. "Let me know if you need anything," he replied. "And again, I'm so sorry." _

_With that he left, leaving Natalie alone. Overheard one of the cops telling another that John had been drinking heavily. Why would he be drinking without her? She felt absolutely numb to the world. This couldn't be happening. She stared down at the folded up paper that rested in her hands, and she opened it slowly, wanting to see what it was._

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Natalie awoke with a start. She had been dreaming. Her pillows and covers had been thrown haphazardly from her bed and into the floor. She was covered in sweat, and tears stained her cheeks. Blackjack, who was at the end of her bed, whined and moved closer to her, pressing his nose in her neck. He always knew when she had a bad dream. She petted him, and scratched him behind the ears, glad for his company. She glanced at the clock. It was only 3:30 A.M., but she knew that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep no matter how hard she tried.

She gave in to her sleeplessness, and got out of bed. Natalie stepped into the shower, turning the water on as hot as she could stand, and let the scalding warmth wash over her. It had been almost two months since she had thought of John and that night, but it all came rushing back to her now.

She did not cry anymore, she was stronger than that. That was one of the things that Natalie prided herself on, her ability to survive and not let the past effect her happiness too much. There was nothing she could do to change it, so why let it mold her into someone miserable? She still didn't like to relive the memories though.

Natalie scrubbed herself with soap and body wash, the bathroom filling with the scent of vanilla, until her skin was almost raw. Once she could scrub herself no longer without pain, she extricated herself from the shower and began drying off with the towel that hung on the shower door.

Her thoughts drifted to Bane. She found herself thinking of him a lot lately. She was beginning to trust him, and felt that they had formed a sort of friendship. She had developed a compassion for him that was unexplainable. She knew that he was a mercenary, and that he had killed countless numbers of people, but that fact didn't bother her nearly as much as it should have, and she couldn't explain why. She enjoyed talking to him, and she found herself looking forward to her visits every week. Was she crazy? Maybe… She wasn't sure if that qualified her as crazy or not, but it certainly wasn't normal. Then again, Natalie wasn't exactly normal either…

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The next week, Natalie went to Arkham as usual. When she reached the top floor, and walked down the hallway, she knew something was amiss. Bane greeted her like normal, but he looked very pale and tired. She entered his cell, and began the process of giving him the Venom. He didn't talk much, and seemed to be slightly irritable, which was not like him. She noticed that his pillow and his blanket were missing from his bed, and there wasn't an empty tray on the ground by the door, signaling that he had finished his dinner. Upon noticing this, and seeing Bane's state, Natalie became concerned.

"What have they been doing to you?" she asked bluntly, anger and concern showing in her gray-blue eyes. "You look terrible." Bane shook his head and sighed. "Do not concern yourself with me," he said tiredly. "I will be fine."

He looked away from her, not wanting to talk anymore, but Natalie would have none of it. She was going to find out what was going on, because this was not normal. "Bullshit. You're not fine," she growled, calling him on his bluff. "You look like you haven't slept in a week. What happened? And don't even try to lie to me."

She was angry, and Bane knew that she was not going to give up until he told her. He sighed wearily. "I taunted Mike a few days ago," he said. "Made some comments about his mother, or something to that nature. He thinks that just because I am locked behind bars, that it gives him power over me. I had to rectify his arrogance. I would seem that he took offense to my taunting. He took my pillow and my blanket, and he hasn't brought me any food since then."

Natalie was appalled. How could Mike starve him? She knew that Bane had instigated, but still. Her disgust quickly turned to unbridled fury at Mike, and the whole situation in general. "Does the general know?" she asked. "I'm not sure," Bane said.

She was finished administering the Venom by now. "Give me an hour," she said. "I'm going home to get food, and a few other things for you. I'll be back soon, and I'm talking to the general when I return." There was that fiery spirit that Bane loved so much. He smiled at her behind the mask, as Natalie stormed out on a mission.

Natalie was back about an hour later, as promised. She had brought enough food with her to feed an army. There was chicken fried steak, a pot of soup, hamburger helper, and ramen noodles galore. Bane eyed the food hungrily. She had also brought two fluffy pillows and a beautiful, handmade, red, blue, and green, patchwork quilt. She unlocked the door to his cell, and walked in with the goodies.

She began spreading the Tupperware and plastic bags full of food over the floor of the cell, and she placed the pillows and the quilt on Bane's bed. "My grandma made that quilt for me before she died," she said. ""It was supposed to be a wedding gift for me, BUT seeing as I never got married, my parents gave it to me when I moved. So, please take care of it." Natalie's voice was almost pleading when she asked him to take care of the quilt.

"I promise I will care for it as if my life depended on it," Bane replied, his eyes reflecting the genuine quality of that promise. "Thank you, for all of this," he said, spreading his arms wide in a gesture that included the entire cell and everything inside of it. Bane was overcome with a feeling of gratitude that was foreign to him. People didn't do nice things for him. He was Bane. Most of the time, people just stayed out of his way, and that was as nice as it got for him. He was at a complete loss as to what he needed to do or say to her. Natalie's voice brought him back from his silent thoughts.

"I guess I will leave so you can eat," she said gently. She was almost to the door of the cell, when he stopped her. "Wait," he called out, his voice full of curiosity. "May I ask you a personal question?" Natalie hesitantly turned around to face him, her hesitancy written on her face. "Sure," she said, clearly wondering what it was that had sparked his interest.

Bane was very careful with the wording of his question. He did not want to anger her or hurt her, but he was too curious not to ask. "Why did you never marry?" he asked gently. Her eyes widened in surprise at his inquiry, and a feeling of inadequacy washed over her. He saw pain, sorrow, and anger play across her face after the initial moment of surprise, and he knew that he had hit a nerve. She was silent for some time, as if formulating an appropriate response. Finally she replied to his question. "It's a long story," she said tiredly. "I don't really want to talk about it right now. Goodbye Bane." And with that she left. Bane didn't have time to say another word to her, before she was out the door and down the hallway. He would have to try to get the story from her later. He was grateful for her kindness and had not intended to hurt her.

Bane began removing his mask so that he could eat. It was always a very process, and he had learned to eat quickly in order to keep the pain at a minimum. He reached around and unhooked his mask, pulling it off of his face. A wave of pain washed over him, and he knew that it wouldn't be long until that pain was unbearable. He ate quickly, starting with the chicken fried steak, and ending with the soup. He kept eating until the pain became too much, and he felt like he was going to black out. When it reached the point where he couldn't see straight anymore, Bane quickly grabbed the mask with shaky hands, and secured it around his face once again, breathing in the Venom as deeply as he could.

He laid on the floor for several minutes breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling painfully with each breath, until the pain retreated and he could move again. He stood up, still shaky on his legs, tried to walk and fell. He grabbed onto his bed just before he hit the floor, and stayed there for a moment, regaining his sense of balance. He hated being weak like this. It was a side of himself that he never wanted anyone to see. When he felt that he could move again, he pulled himself up into his bed and lay down on his new pillows. They were soft and comfortable, and felt good under his head and shoulders. He pulled the quilt up over him and tried to relax.

Bane found his thoughts drifting to Natalie. He had hurt her with his question, but he had not received any answers. He wondered to himself why she hadn't ever married. She was beautiful and kind, granted she was very spirited, but still… He thought of her until his eyes grew heavy and he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

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Natalie found General Reamer on the fifth floor, checking in on some of the prisoners. "Sir," she said boldly, approaching him. "I need to talk to you about Bane." The general stopped what he was doing, and turned to face her. "Did he hurt you?" he asked, concern present in his voice.

"No," she replied quickly. "It's something else. Mike hasn't given him any food in days. I don't think that he is being cared for properly, and I want to bring it to your attention." The general looked at her for a moment, and his expression indicated that she was wasting his time.

"Well…" he said slowly. "He probably did something to deserve it. Mike won't let him die, so don't worry about it too much." Natalie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stared at the general open mouthed, unable to process his words. Had he just blown this off like it was nothing? She felt anger rising up in her like bile, and she couldn't hold her tongue any longer.

"Seriously?" she asked sarcastically, unable to hide her anger. "He's being starved and you don't give a shit? What the hell is wrong with you?" He observed her for a moment, and then laughed. His laughter and his blatant flippancy of the situation only fueled her fire.

"Why should I give a shit?" he sneered. "That bastard is only good to me so long as he ends up six feet underground. You want him to be cared for? You can get a job here and take care of him yourself then." Natalie stood up straight, thrust out her chest, and walked up to the general, head held high. She knew that in the animal kingdom, often times the animal that put on the biggest bluff won the fight. That was exactly what she was doing.

"Maybe I will," she growled. " I have two weeks of work left before my summer vacation. Hire me. Let me take care of Bane. I can do other work too, but let me make sure that he is being treated like a human being instead of a dog." Her voice was dangerously low, and full of spite and venom. She met the general's eyes, challenging him on every level. He stared back at her for some time, the tension in the air palpable.

He finally broke the intensity of their eye contact. "Fine," he said defeated. "I will hire you for the summer. You will work five days a week, and your main responsibility will be to care for Bane. I will assign you several other prisoners as well, but you will be solely responsible for him."

Natalie's frown turned to a smirk, as she realized that she had won. "Thank you," she said simply. "I will see you next week and we can talk about the details then." With that, she walked off, leaving the general stunned at her boldness. She wasn't quite sure why she felt responsible for Bane, and she knew that she could not take back what she had just done, but she felt a sick satisfaction in her actions, and looked forward to spending more time with Bane.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all for the reviews! It inspires me to work harder and make this story even better than I originally intended! I was going to make this chapter way longer than it is, but it was becoming obnoxiously long. In the interest of making sure that you don't destroy your computer, phone, etc… from the irritation of reading an obnoxiously long chapter, and that I don't fall off my chair and go into a boredom coma after typing this incredibly long chapter, I have decided to put part of it into chapter nine. So please don't hate me. This chapter is okay, but Chapter nine will have some action, you have my word. Anyways, thank you for your interest in this story! Reviews and suggestions are always welcome. Enjoy!**

Chapter 8

_Natalie was at the cemetery. They were burying John. There were people everywhere. Some of the people had truly come to mourn John's death, while others were only there to get ahead in their careers. Like vultures they sat around his grave, consoling his parents. John's parents were lawyers, and they were beyond wealthy. They practically ran the small town that Natalie lived in. John had been set up to take over their practice once he had finished his law degree, but obviously, that was never going to happen now. The "vultures" were trying to win his parents favor, so that they could gain favors in court, free sports tickets, a stay in their cabin in Aspen, things of that nature. _

_ John's parents were devastated, to say the least. Natalie, on the other hand, just felt numb. She had not shed a tear since his death. She knew that it was strange. They had spent two years together, but instead of sorrow, she just felt nothing, the image of the final note that he had written her, permanently etched into her brain. His parents blamed her for his death. They had never liked her from day one, because they believed that she did not possess the image that their family wanted to convey to the public. When they found out that John had been killed in a drunk driving accident, they pointed fingers at Natalie, saying that she had made John so miserable, that he was drinking to forget the pain; and that if he had never met her, he would still be alive. _

_ Maybe they were right. Anyone that claimed to love her died, first her dad, and now John. The only living person who claimed to love her was her little brother, Robert. Robert was here with her today. He walked across the grass and over to her side, putting his arm around her. "It's going to be ok Natalie," he said gently. She looked at him lovingly. The two of them were three years apart, and despite the fact that they had the same biological parents, they virtually looked nothing alike. Natalie was small and thin with brown hair, and Robert was well over six feet tall, husky, and had shaggy black hair that was always in his face. The only way that anyone could tell they were related was that they both had the same gray-blue eyes, and the same grin. _

_ "Robbie," she said to her much larger, little brother. "What's wrong with me?" Robbie saw the concern in her eyes, and he knew she was asking a legitimate question, at least to her anyways. "Nothing," he said. "There is nothing wrong with you, and don't let his parents, mom, or anyone else tell you otherwise. You'll find someone else. Maybe you were meant too all along. Things happen for a reason, you know? You're just different, and most guys don't know how to handle that. I promise you that there is one that will though, and all of this will mean nothing to you when you find him." He grinned at her and gave her a big hug. Natalie couldn't help but grin back. She loved Robbie, and he was always there for her. "Thanks brother," she said gratefully._

_ When the time for the eulogy came, Natalie was asked to say a few words. She stepped up to the casket, and was at a loss as to what she should say. "John was a good man," she began, fumbling for words. "And he will be missed by many. Goodbye, John." The other mourners were shocked that she had said so little. Natalie took off her engagement ring, and placed it inside of the casket. She didn't want it anymore, so she was giving it back to him. With that she walked off, hearing the murmurs of the others and the comments of John's parents saying how heartless she was. She just kept going, never looking back, and never shedding a tear._

Natalie's alarm woke her with a start. She had been dreaming again. She hated dreaming about John and his death. It only brought back bad memories. She shook the dream off, and went about her day as usual. This was to be her first day working at Arkham, and she wanted to be sharp. She had been to check on Bane more than usual, over the last few weeks, making sure that he was being taken care of.

The general had told Bane that Natalie would be taking care of him full time for a few months. He was pleased upon hearing the news, but he was unsure of her motives. Regardless of how kind she had been to him, he doubted that she would willingly volunteer to spend her summer making sure that he had food and toiletries, and taking him out for "free time."

When Natalie arrived at Arkham, she met with General Reamer in his office. "You will be taking care of Bane and two other prisoners," he said coldly. He still hadn't forgotten their argument a few weeks ago. "You will be responsible for feeding them twice a day, taking them to the showers once a day, taking them out into the yard for free time, and making sure that they have essentials like toilet paper, toothpaste, etc… Do you think that you can handle that?" His question hung in the air, as if he didn't think that she could.

"Yes, sir," she said confidently. She could, and she would, prove him wrong about her. The general began to take her on a tour of the prison, showing her the employee break room on the tenth floor first. It was fairly large and well lit, with a few chairs, some lockers, a table, a refrigerator, and a coffee maker. "You can leave your things in here everyday," he said. "I will give you your own locker. You can also eat lunch in here if you want to." The general kept moving, eager to finish the tour quickly. Natalie trailed behind him, careful to keep up. They went across the hall from the break room, and down a flight of stairs. The stairwells were well lit, but small and sort of cramped.

They kept descending the staircase, until the reached the sixth floor. They stepped out of the stairwell, and into a large, and busy, kitchen area. The kitchen was well lit, just like every other area in the prison, and made completely out of stainless steel. "This is the kitchen," he pointed out. "Come down here twice a day to get food for your prisoners." The kitchen staff was working hard to cook breakfast for the inmates, and they barely even acknowledged the presence of Natalie or the general. They continued on down the hall from the kitchen, and past the cells on that floor.

The prisoners on floor number six shouted at Natalie as she walked past, and made obscene comments and gestures. She extended her middle finger at them, and kept walking. The general stopped at the end of the hallway. There was a large, locked, metal door in front of them. He placed a key in the lock and twisted, pushing open the heavy door with some effort. Inside, it was like a military toy store. There were weapons everywhere. The general's eyes lit up as he walked inside. Everything for simple night sticks to AK-47s and grenades were housed in this room. "This…" he said gesturing around grandly, "is the weapons room. I will give you a key, but only come in here when you have to."

Natalie looked around for a minute, impressed by the arsenal. She would love to get her hands on some of these guns. "Let's move along," the general urged as he noticed her interest in the AK-47. They walked back down the hallway, through the busy kitchen, and back into the stairwell that they had come from. They took the stairs down to the second floor. They exited the stairwell, and walked down a small deserted hallway to a locked room at the end of the hall. The general opened the lock with a small key, and they stepped inside. The room was small, but looked like a control room for a spaceship. There were lights and buttons everywhere, and a guard was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, watching monitors on the wall that showed the activities of the prison.

"This is the central control room," the general said. " I will give you a key to this as well, but you should never need to use it. All you need to know, is if there is an emergency, come down here, and press this button. He pointed to a large red button in the middle of the console. "Remember how I told you about the electrical chips that are implanted in the prisoners?" She nodded, and he continued. "This button activates them all. It fries the prisoners, until their hearts stop for good. Don't use this unless there's a major break out, but if it happens, we can neutralize the problem quickly." The general nodded to the security guard, and they stepped out of the control room, and headed back into the stairwell.

They went down to the main floor, where the entrance to the prison was located. The general walked across the room, to the south side of the building, and Natalie followed him. He took her out two large double doors that were located at the very far end of the main floor. They were in "the yard" now. It was huge. There were weights and punching bags at one end, along with a sort of makeshift locker room. At the other end, there was a large field for sports, and small building that held a sparring ring. A huge chain link fence surrounded the yard with barbed wire on top to prevent escape, and a sentry with an M-16 was perched atop a look out tower in the middle of the yard. "This is the yard," the general said. "You bring your prisoners out here for a few hours a day so that they can socialize. There are also showers on every floor, and they are located on the east end of every hallway. Take them once a day, and allow them about fifteen minutes for a shower."

They walked back inside the prison, and got into the elevator. They took the elevator up to the top floor, and back to General Reamer's office. He dug around in his desk for a few minutes, and he gave Natalie a handful of keys and clipboard with a sheet of paper on it. "You have a key to each prisoner's cell, the weapons room, the control room, and your locker. The paper on the clipboard has the names, floors, and cell numbers of each prisoner that you are in charge of." He handed her a walkie talkie as well. "Call me if you need anything," he said quickly. "Thank you," she replied. "I guess I should go get my prisoners some breakfast." She put the keys in her pocket, and the walkie talkie on her belt. "Good luck," the general said, and he walked off, leaving her to attend to her duties.

Natalie had three prisoners to attend to. She decided to save Bane for last, so that she could spend more time with him without the other two waiting on her. Her first prisoner was located on the third floor. His name was Dominick Rodriguez, or just Nick, as he told her. He was small and scrawny, and he had a bad case of little man syndrome. Nick was in Arkham because he had joined a gang in Gotham, and shot at the mayor during a speech as part of his initiation. He had told the cops that the voices in his head had told him to do it, joking around with them, and the court had ruled him insane. Thankfully for the mayor, Nick was a bad shot, and the only thing he had accomplished by the attack, was to get thrown into prison. Natalie brought Nick his food, and left as quickly as possible.

Her second prisoner was a woman named Jennifer Smith. Jennifer had once been beautiful, but she only looked crazy now. Her hair was in knots, and she looked like she never showered. She had been thrown into Arkham after her husband died of a mysterious illness. The coroner's office suspected foul play, and an investigation was launched, and showed that her husband had ingested a neurotoxin. The cops traced the neurotoxin back to Jennifer, who laughed and cried during her entire trial, so the jury had ruled her insane. Natalie brought her some breakfast, and left quickly. Jennifer was legitimately crazy, and that freaked her out.

She took Bane his breakfast last. He was awake, and doing push-ups in his cell, shirtless. Natalie watched the rise and fall of his body as he pushed against the floor. The muscles in his arms and his back rippled and moved fluidly under his skin, going taut, and then relaxing with each push-up. Natalie tried not to stare, but failed miserably. She found her thoughts wandering, and she imagined what it would be like to have her body under such a strong and powerful man. She shivered, and a blush rose to her cheeks as she realized the direction that her thoughts were going. She quickly shook the thoughts from her head as Bane noticed her arrival and stood up. He noticed her gaze on him, and saw the color in her cheeks. He said nothing about it, but smiled behind his mask.

"Ah, I see that you have brought me breakfast," he said jovially. "The general said that you would be visiting me daily now, but he was unclear as to the reason. To what pleasure do I owe your company, little one?" His eyes were bright with intrigue, and his voice conveyed a sense of surprise and happiness.

"Let's just say I got bored, and needed something to do while I'm not working," Natalie said smirking a bit. She unlocked the door to his cell, and brought his breakfast inside. "Come now," Bane scoffed. "You don't expect me to believe that this is the reason that you are here do you? There is another reason that you are here, besides the fact that you are bored and I am excellent company. Please, little one, enlighten me."

His mechanical voice was practically a purr, and Natalie felt an almost animalistic attraction to him, that she couldn't explain. She felt the blush rising into her cheeks again, as inappropriate thoughts surfaced into her mind. A smile lit up Bane's eyes as he watched her struggle with her thoughts and feelings. She showed restraint however, and pushed the thoughts away for a second time that morning. "Well…" she said playfully now, trying to recover her usual careless flippancy. "Since you said please… I'm here because I don't like the way that you are being treated, and I will not let that happen to you again, as long as I can help it." Bane was silent for some time, processing her response. A wild, and almost predatory quality that Natalie had never seen before entered into his eyes.

He walked over to her, stepping into her personal space. She stepped back and he kept coming until her back hit the bars of the cell. He placed his muscular arms on either side of her shoulders, effectively pinning her against the bars where she could not move. He brought his mask about an inch from her face, and his eyes were intense as they looked into hers. Natalie was overwhelmed with the sheer power of his presence and their closeness. She couldn't breathe for a moment, and it frightened her that he could have so much of an effect on her.

When Bane spoke, his green eyes held a dangerous quality to them, and his voice carried a hard edge to it that she was not used to. "So you are here because you pity me?" he asked, a slight growl rising in his chest. "I do not want, or need, your pity,"

"No!" Natalie said quickly, surprised that she could find her voice in the face of his anger. She inwardly composed herself. She could not show him any fear whatsoever. "I don't pity you," she said boldly. "Far from it. I'm here so that I can look out for you. I'm here because I WANT to be here."

The anger dissipated in Bane's eyes somewhat, and his brows knit in confusion. He brought his face closer still, until his mask was literally touching her nose. She never broke eye contact with him. Breaking eye contact was a sign of weakness. Natalie could feel the heavy breath from the mouthpiece of his mask falling on her face. It was intoxicating. HE was intoxicating. Such power and presence, she had never seen in one man before. Bane studied her for a moment, taking note of the way her breath was even and strong, and the way her eyes were locked on his. Her eyes showed no trace of fear, but he saw bravery and defiance, and there was another emotion there that he couldn't quite place. Wonder, maybe? Excitement? Lust? He was only fooling himself with the last option, but still, he couldn't quite see what was going on in her head, and that bothered him.

"Why," he asked her. "Why do you want to look out for me?" Bane watched her face closely for any sign that she might be lying to him, or feigning her sincerity about wanting to be there and look out for him, and he found none. The steady gaze of her gray-blue eyes never wavered, and she was full of sincerity and courage when she spoke.

"Remember a few weeks ago, when you told me that we were friends?" Natalie asked boldly. "Yes," he replied, confusion present on his face, not quite making the connection. "Well…" she continued. "That's what friends do. We look out for each other." She grinned at him as she spoke now. "Believe it or not," she said matter of factly. "Not everyone despises you, or has an ulterior motive for being nice to you. I just enjoy your company, and want to make sure that no one messes with you, because you're my friend."

Bane's anger was completely gone. She was telling him the truth, that he was certain of. His eyes crinkled up at the edges as he smiled under his mask. He removed his arms from either side of her body, and stepped out of her personal space. "Well then, little one," he said enthusiastically. "We shall have a grand time together over the next few months."

Natalie grinned at him, and left him to eat his breakfast, promising to be back later to take him to the showers and out to the yard. Friends, she thought. She was officially friends with a mercenary and a mass murderer, and that thought did not freak her out in the least. She rolled her eyes at the thought that she might be slowly losing her mind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay you guys here is Chapter Nine! As promised I give you ACTION, and this is only the beginning. I would also like to say that I have read a few other fan fics on here and there are some really fantastic writers on this site! I followed a few that I really like, so if you haven't read them yet, go and read them now! Anyways, reviews and comments are always welcome! Tell me what you love, or what you hate. I love hearing from you guys! Enjoy!**

Chapter Nine

Later that morning Natalie went back to Bane's cell to escort him to the showers down the hall. For her two other prisoners, she had used handcuffs and the presence of the night stick, but she did not want to use any of that on him. They had finally forged a sort of friendship, and she didn't want to ruin it.

She unlocked his cell, and opened the door wide, so that he could walk out. Bane complied willingly, and stepped out of the cell, bringing himself to stand next to Natalie. For the first time since they had met, they were outside of the confines of his cell together. Natalie was well aware of his physical strength, yet he made no move to harm her; in fact, he just nodded to her, and began walking down the hall in the direction of the showers. She followed him, trusting that he would be cooperative.

They reached the end of the hall in a matter of minutes. The showers were basically just a tiled room with no windows, off of the main hall, with a very thin swinging door separating the room from the hallway. "Go get in the shower," she said to him once they had reached their destination.

Bane looked at her with an amused expression on his face. "Aren't you going to at least buy me dinner first?" he asked jokingly. "I think that we are moving a little too fast." Natalie groaned and rolled her eyes at him. "Just go," she said, both annoyance and amusement present in her voice. Bane chuckled and grinned behind his mask, enjoying teasing her. He then did as he was told, and went inside the shower room. Natalie stood outside, and waited on him to finish.

He emerged from the shower about twelve minutes later, shirtless, handsome, and looking and smelling good. She did enjoy looking at him, but she tried not to make it too obvious. Bane threw his towel over his shoulder, and began walking back towards his cell. He gave her no problems, and she locked him back into his cell with ease. She was very glad that she had opted not to use the handcuffs on him.

Natalie had her other prisoners to attend to, but a few hours later she came back to Bane's cell to take him out the yard for free time. Once again, he went willingly with her, no handcuffs required, and they walked down the stairs to the main floor in silence. They crossed the lobby, and exited the prison through the large double doors that led out into the yard. Prisoners were everywhere. They were running, laughing, lifting weights, boxing, and just relaxing. The guard on the tower kept a careful watch, never letting his hands stray far from his M-16.

"What do you do out here?" she asked him, her curiosity getting the better of her. "I like to fight," he responded pleasantly. "There is an indoor sparring ring on the other side of the yard. I go there most of the time. Sometimes one of the other prisoners will have the courage to challenge me, but most of the time I just end up training on my own with a punching bag. Would you care to join me today?" he asked enthusiastically. She grinned at him, glad that he enjoyed her company enough to ask her to join him. "Absolutely," Natalie said without hesitation, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. Bane's eyes were filled with enthusiasm as he grinned back at her from behind his mask. "Come with me," he demanded, holding out his massive hand to her. She was hesitant at first, but after a moment of contemplation, she placed her hand into his, allowing him to intertwine his fingers around hers. His hands were rough, but they felt warm on her skin, and she closed her eyes for a second, enjoying his touch.

When Natalie opened her eyes a fraction of a second later, Bane was looking at her intently. His eyes danced with excitement, and she allowed him to lead her across the yard, and into the indoor sparring ring. He didn't let go of her hand until they reached the door. Bane opened the door, and they walked inside. The sparring ring was a simple gymnasium with padding on the walls, sparse of any sort of decoration. There were three other guys inside, fighting. They were all large, and covered in tattoos. Two of them were bald, and the biggest one had short, cropped, military style hair. They all three looked as though they had been in many fights.

The men stopped fighting when they saw Bane and Natalie walk through the door. The largest man in the group, with the military haircut, greeted Bane immediately. "Welcome, my friend!" he exclaimed. "I see you have returned… I fully intend on repaying the black eye that you gave me last week." His words carried a general nonchalance and amusement. Natalie could tell that the two of them fought often, or he would not approach Bane so easily.

"Well, Jake," Bane chuckled. "The fact of the matter is, that I fully intend on giving you another black eye today." Jake grinned at him, and beckoned him to step forward and fight with a wave of his hand. Bane accepted his challenge, and moved towards him, like a lion stalking its prey. He glanced back at Natalie, who was watching him intently. "Wait right here," he said to her gently. "I will not be long." She nodded her head in agreement, and he continued to make his way over to Jake.

Bane removed his shirt, revealing his well-muscled chest and back. Natalie noticed a long scar running down the entire length of his back. She wondered to herself what had given him such an extensive wound. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment as she watched him crack his knuckles and his massive neck. Suddenly, Jake ran towards him, throwing punches, as he got close. Bane stayed where he was until the last possible second, and then he moved. He was surprisingly quick for a man of his size. He dodged to the side of Jake's punches, leaving his fists to make contact with nothing but air. Jake flailed about for a moment as he tried to regain his bearings, but that moment was all that Bane needed. His fist made contact with Jake's face.

Natalie heard a sickening crack as Jake's nose was contorted into an awkward angle, effectively and cleanly breaking. Dark, crimson blood began to cover his face and splatter across the floor of the gym like a primal Jackson Pollock painting. Jake turned around quickly, swinging at Bane once again, but the blood on his face made it impossible to see, and he was fighting blind. Bane ended the fight quickly, throwing a punch to Jake's gut first, and then another punch to the side of his face. Jake's equilibrium was thrown off, and he became disoriented and lost his footing. He collapsed onto the floor, and lay there for some time, before asking his buddies for a towel to clean his face off. The floor of the gym was covered in blood, and Bane grinned victoriously behind his mask.

"Who dares to challenge me?" he roared, an air of triumph evident in his mechanical voice. The other men in the gym remained silent, obviously not accepting his challenge. Natalie grinned wickedly, and spoke loud enough for Bane to hear. "I'll fight you," she said boldly.

Bane turned around to face her directly, surprise and amusement evident on his face. He chuckled at her, not bothering to hide his lack of faith in her fighting skills. "No, little one," he said gently, with a trace of humor in his voice. "I will not fight you." Natalie found Bane's lack of faith and flippancy towards her incredibly irritating, and she felt anger rise up in her. "Why not?" she demanded. "Are you afraid that I will kick your ass and embarrass you?" Her voice carried a mocking tone, and Bane realized that she was purposely taunting him.

She made him very angry sometimes, however, he decided not give in to his irritation with her for the time being. He did not want to hurt her physically in any way. "No," he responded harshly, his tone of voice leaving no room for argument. Natalie was not about to let Bane push her around, and she was NOT going to take no for an answer. "Okay then," she said, visibly annoyed. She turned towards the other men in the gym. "Which one of you wants to fight me?" she asked, determined to spite Bane.

The two men that were friends with Jake looked at Natalie skeptically, like they could not believe that she actually wanted to fight. The two men briefly made eye contact with each other, and then a smile broke out on their faces, and they both raised their hands. No doubt, these two probably thought that they could cop a feel in the guise of fighting. Natalie rolled her eyes at the thought, but consented, pointing towards the larger of the two men. "You," she said boldly. "I will fight you."

The big brute grinned, and stepped forward to meet her in the middle of the gym, but was stopped short as Bane placed himself squarely between him and Natalie. "Enough," he growled, his mechanical voice low and dangerous. The big man stepped back, alarmed by Bane's sudden ferocity. "You will not touch her," he commanded. "Not now, or ever. I will tear you apart limb by limb, and feed you to the other inmates if you ever lay a hand on her." His voice was fierce, and made Natalie shiver. Bane was terrifying when he was angry. There was a possessive rage that burned in his eyes that Natalie had never seen before. It was clear to her that he did NOT want those men touching her. Natalie secretly she liked seeing him this way. She felt protected by him. "Leave, NOW!" he snarled at the men. They did not need to be told twice. They left as quickly as they could, taking Jake with them, and leaving Bane and Natalie alone together.

He turned on her the second that they were alone, anger and something akin to jealously contorting his face. "Why must you go looking for trouble?" he asked, his voice low and angry. "Your arrogance will be the death of you, little one. Next time I might not be here to save you. You need a lesson in humility, and you need to learn to back down from confrontation." His anger burned in his beautiful green eyes. He was used to getting his way, and Natalie was not about to let him win.

"I'm from Texas," she said defiantly. "I don't back down. Fight me." She met his eyes, the same anger burning in hers as well. "Fight me, or I will go and pick a fight with someone out in the yard. You can't protect me from an entire prison." Bane sighed, his anger giving way to defeat. Natalie was impossible, and it made him crazy sometimes.

"Fine," he said, cracking his knuckles once again. "One round." Natalie grinned wickedly, and put up her fists into a fighting stance. Bane walked towards her, and threw a light punch, which she dodges with ease. "You're not trying," she said, irritated. "Don't let me win. If I win, I want to have earned it." Bane nodded, and threw another punch at her, this time harder than the first. Natalie ducked, and delivered a quick left hook, aimed at Bane's abdomen. He dodged to the side of her punch, and was surprised when her fist made contact with his face. She had faked him out with the left hook. The blow stung a little bit, but Bane was used to pain, and he was not fazed. He reached out to grab her, but she had already moved. Bane was fast, but Natalie was faster. He had to give her credit for her speed. He was having a hard time hitting her or catching her. Natalie threw another punch, which he dodged, but this time he was more aware of her strategy. Bane was smart, and he would not make the same mistake twice.

Natalie thrust her leg out, aiming to kick out his knees and bring him down, but he was ready for her attack. It was time to end this. Bane reached out and grabbed her ankle as she kicked at him, giving a hard tug towards him, and effectively pulling her legs out from underneath her. Natalie lost her balance, and the gym floor came rushing up to meet her. She saw stars and lights behind her eyelids as she made contact, hard, with the gym floor. She tried to regain her footing, but Bane was already standing over her before she could move. He towered above her, and drew back his fist, as if to deliver a blow to her face and end the fight. Natalie threw up her hands to protect her face from his fist, but the blow never came. Bane caught himself before bringing his fist down on her, and seemed to think better of throwing the punch. Instead, he lowered his fist, and did something that surprised Natalie. He sat down. On top of her.

Natalie shrieked as she was pinned to the floor by this weight. "Get…off…of…me!" she snarled, punching at him from the floor. Bane just laughed. "Surrender to me, little one," he said triumphantly. "You have lost this fight," Natalie struggled from underneath him. "Never!" she yelled, throwing punches, yet again, trying to get him to move. Bane only seemed more amused by her refusal to give up. He loved her fighting spirit. "You have an unusual amount of spirit, little one," he said, his eyes dancing with pleasure. Natalie gave up trying to get him to move. "Fine," she said, frustration evident in her voice. "I give up. I surrender to you."

Bane stood up without another word, his face triumphant, and extended his hand to her. She accepted it, and he pulled her up, off the gym floor, and onto her feet. "Where did you learn to fight?" he asked. He would not outright say it, but she could see that he had been impressed with her fighting skills. "Did you like what you saw?" she teased. "Yes," he answered honestly, not bothering to hide his approval.

"Kickboxing," Natalie said simply. "My brother and I used to fight all the time when we were kids, and since he was quite a bit bigger than me, I had to get an edge somehow. I turned to kickboxing, and I was kicking his ass in no time." She grinned with pride as she talked about it. Bane watched her with approval before speaking. "You are fast," he said objectively. "You move faster than most, and you have an element of surprise in your fighting that gives you an edge. However, you are arrogant and cocky, and that is your biggest weakness. I could have killed you if that is what I desired. Also, you are more defensive than offensive, and could use some help with your punches." Bane's brow furrowed as he critiqued her, and Natalie saw the truth behind his words.

"Teach me," she demanded. "Show me how to fight like you do." He chuckled at her demanding request, but agreed. "Alright, little one," he said, amused with her boldness. "I will teach you to fight, but on one condition." He looked her directly in the eyes, driving the seriousness of his condition home. "What is this condition?" Natalie asked warily. Bane stepped forward until his mask was literally an inch from her nose. He has absolutely no concept of personal space, she thought to herself, as she met his eyes. "My condition is that you fight with me, and only me. You do not fight with any other man in this prison." His voice was intense, and carried with it a deadly serious quality. Natalie knew that he meant business. "I will not agree to train you unless you agree to my condition," he said matter of factly. Natalie nodded her head, and agreed.

Bane seemed pleased by their arrangement, and as free time ended she walked him back up to his cell. They had agreed that they would work together every day and Natalie was looking forward to it.

Bane thought of her after she left for the day. He had been impressed with her, and had agreed to train her. He had also come to the conclusion that he did not want to break her, as he had initially wanted to do. No, she was much more valuable with her spirit intact. He would train her, harness her skills, and she could be useful to him in the future. Perhaps their friendship would be beneficial to both of them.


	10. Chapter 10

Here's Chapter 10! Please read and review! Tell me what you love and what you hate. This is my story, but it's your story too, so I love to hear from you! Chapter 11 is going to be fluffier, so fear not, but this one was fun to write. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 10

_It was only a piece of paper. Natalie's hands shook violently as she held it tightly, her knuckles turning white from gripping it for so long. A piece of paper should not have this much effect on her, but she felt a lifetime of repressed memories and feelings of inadequacy rise to the surface of her mind as she read the bold print words, written in black ink, that adorned the paper. The note was from John. One of the police officers at the scene of his death had found it in his wallet, and had given it to her. Natalie willed herself to read it again, still in denial of the message that it contained. Her hands shook once again as her eyes took in the words on the paper._

_Natalie,_

_ We have been together for a long time, and this is difficult to do, but I think that it is time that we move on with our lives and see other people. I love you, but after a lot of thought, I don't think that we are compatible. You are very outspoken and strong-willed. You're not much of a lady, and you don't fit in well with my parents or my lawyer friends and their wives. You have many qualities that I simply cannot learn to accept, and I need to find someone who can fit in with my family and my friends. Our lives are going separate ways, and I think that this is for the best. My only regret is that I don't have the courage to tell you all of this in person. One day, you will find someone who can love you and appreciate you, but that person is not me. I'm so sorry, and I hope you can forgive me. _

_ - John_

_ Natalie's hands trembled, and her eyes filled with tears. Un-loveable and difficult. The words bounced around her head, and filled her with despair. Her mother had told her that many times, but somehow it was different coming from John. If he felt that way, then it must be true. She was just too much to handle, and no one even wanted to try. That bastard, she thought to herself. He didn't even have the balls to tell her to her face. Natalie crumpled up the note, angry that she had allowed herself to trust him, and angry at John for his cowardice. She quickly put the note in an empty cardboard box, along with anything else that reminded her of him, such as pictures and cards, his cds, and his movies. She then grabbed the box and took it outside. _

_ Once outside, Natalie placed the box on the ground, and pulled out her lighter. She held the lighter up to the side of the box, depressing the button. She watched as the cardboard caught fire, and the box began to char and burn. The flames licked up the side of the box, spreading to the contents inside. After only a few seconds, the entire contents of the box were engulfed in flames, and Natalie felt a sense of satisfaction watching it all burn. It continued to burn until all that was left was a charred mass of ashes and plastic. If she was no one could ever love her, then so be it. She didn't need him. She didn't need anyone._

_Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"Natalie." She heard a deep voice call out her name. She opened her eyes, and realized that she was in the break room at Arkham. She must have dozed off while she was taking a break. Mike was sitting across the table from her, playing on his computer, but had taken a break from that to wake her up. "Rough day?" he asked nonchalantly. She stretched and yawned before answering. "Sort of," Natalie replied truthfully. "I stayed up WAY too late last night watching Game of Thrones." She grinned sheepishly, aware that staying up late was only half of the reason that she was tired. The other half was because she had been training with Bane. Mike returned her grin, and Natalie noticed that he seemed to be watching some sort of video on his laptop. "What are you watching?" Natalie asked curiously. From the noises that she heard, it sounded like he was watching some sort of slasher movie.

Mike seemed hesitant at first, but then it appeared that he had decided that she could be trusted. "Check this out," he said quietly, his voice full of enthusiasm, and he turned the computer screen towards her. What Natalie saw on the screen both surprised and disgusted her. There were about ten men in a large room together. They each had knives, and they were fighting to the death. They would shank each other, each trying to kill the other men. Once a man was down, they would slit his throat, and move on to the other men. The most disgusting part, was that at the bottom of the screen there were large, flashing letters that read "LIVE FEED."

"What the hell is this?" Natalie asked, clearly not amused. "Why are those men killing each other? More importantly, why is this being recorded and put on the internet?" Mike looked at her dubiously, not understanding why she was angry. "It's battle royale," he said cautiously. "All of these men are prisoners, and they're fighting for their freedom. The last man left alive gets to walk away a free man." Natalie was disgusted. "People actually do this sick shit?" she asked, seething. "They let those men just slaughter each other like dogs, and instead of stopping it, they record it?"

"Well, yeah…" Mike replied softly, not wanting to anger her further. "They make a lot of money doing it too. Viewers have to subscribe to watch. It's not exactly legal here, like it is in some countries, but it would be pretty cool to do that here at Arkham. We could make a fortune, cause complete chaos, and save the taxpayers money, all at the same time. It's ingenious really, and everyone wins." Natalie glared at him. "Not the prisoners," she growled. "They don't win. They get slaughtered. That's sick. You're sick."

Mike laughed, like she had just said something absurd. "What?" he asked. "Are you afraid your precious Bane wouldn't make it out alive? I know that you like him. You do realize that he's as good as dead don't you? He should get a trial date any day now, and once he does, it's only a matter of time." Natalie glared at him, trying not to let him see that his words had cut her. She generally tried to ignore the fact that Bane would have to go to trial. She stood up, pushing in her chair, never breaking her glare on Mike. "You're a sick bastard," she said, and with that she left the break room, slamming the door on her way out.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It had been several weeks since Natalie and Bane had started training together. She was sore and exhausted, but she could feel herself getting stronger, hitting harder, and moving faster with each passing day. Bane had been incredibly pleased with her progress, and had even complimented her a few times, which was unusual for him. She was completely comfortable with him now, and he had slowly become her best and most trusted friend.

It was a normal day for Natalie, and they had just finished up their sparring practice. There was a small women's shower just off the east side of the sparring gym for the prisoners, and Natalie had discovered it quickly after they started training together. Every day after their practices, she went in there and showered while Bane kept watch outside the door, making sure that no one would walk in on her. He had never once tried to see her naked, or force himself upon her in any way. He was a gentleman, and for that she was grateful.

Today, as they finished up their practice, Jake walked into the gym, wanting to fight Bane once again. Natalie smiled at Bane, assuring him that she would be fine. "I'm going to shower," she said. "Go ahead and spar with Jake. I'll be fine." He seemed reluctant to let her go by herself, but she insisted, and after some time, he finally agreed.

Natalie walked across the gym, and down a small hallway to the showers. She entered the door on the right side of the hallway, which was the women's shower. It was small and cramped, with only one shower head behind a partial wall, a bar of soap, a couple of towels, and a tiny bench inside. She quickly stripped down, keeping an eye on the door, and turned on the water. She had not seen anyone else in the gym, but she could never be sure. Once the water was warm enough, she immersed herself in it, reveling in its warmth on her aching muscles. She glanced toward the occasionally, making sure that she was alone, as she lathered up the soap on her body.

Natalie had just begun rinsing the soap off of her body when she heard the door across the hall open and then close. She kept her guard up, but didn't think too much of it. It was probably just Jake or one of his friends, and they wouldn't bother her. She finished washing the soap off, contemplating what she was going to have for dinner that night, when she heard the door to the women's shower click open.

She flattened her body against the wall of the shower, hoping that whoever was there would not see her, and leave. She knew for certain that it was not Bane. He would have called out to her, and let her know that he was there, so that she would not be alarmed. This was someone else. Natalie heard voices; several men were talking to each other. Their voices were low and raspy, as if they had spent a good portion of their lives smoking.

"Where is she?" one of the men asked. "I don't know," another replied. "I saw her come in here, and she didn't leave, so she has to be here." Natalie could not see their faces, but she heard a third, and then a fourth man call out to her. "Come out and play, you little bitch," one said, attempting a seductive voice, and failing miserably. "We only want a little fun. If you're a good girl, we'll let you live, I promise baby," said the fourth man, laughing.

Natalie hugged tighter against the wall, fully aware of her exposed anatomy, and began to slowly move towards her things on the bench. If she could get to her keys, maybe she could stab one of the men and run. The guards at the entrance to the prison had disarmed her, so she had no real weapons. If she made it out of this alive, that was something that she intended on speaking with them about as soon as possible. The keys were her best option at this point. Natalie was strong, but she knew realistically that she could not take on four men by herself. She had to get out of there and find Bane. As she slowly edged her way around the corner, the men came into view, and she could see exactly what she was up against.

There were four of them. Their leader, or so he appeared, was short and stocky. He was bald, and had tattoos almost everywhere on his body. The other men were less memorable. One was tall and thin, with long hair, and a beard to rival the men of Duck Dynasty. The third man was large, and looked very much like a pro wrestler. He cracked his knuckles and grinned with a sick lopsided smile, like he terrorized other people for a living. The fourth man was average size, and had a handlebar moustache like he belonged in a bike gang. They were headed her way, talking and laughing, and she didn't have much time. Natalie had almost made it to her keys, when the man with the beard spotted her.

"There she is," he said, a sick, twisted smile breaking across his face. They came for her quickly. Position compromised, Natalie yelled Bane's name at the top of her lungs, and dove for the keys. The four men were on top of her just as she grabbed them. The man with the long hair and the beard grabbed her around the waist, touching her breasts. She threw a hard elbow into his face. She heard a satisfying crack as her elbow made contact with its intended target, and broke the man's nose. He let go of her immediately, crying out in pain.

Natalie took her keys, found the longest, sharpest one, and thrust it as hard as she could, into the largest man's throat. She was pleased when the key broke the skin, and sank into his neck. She pulled, with as much force as she could manage, and ripped the key across his throat, tearing his carotid artery. He would bleed out, and die within a few minutes. The large man dropped to the floor writhing in pain, dark blood spewing from the fissure in his neck.

Natalie turned her attention to the other two men, but she knew that she was done as she felt a sharp piece of metal slide next to, and nestle against the soft skin of her neck. The short man behind her clicked his tongue, and began to scold her like a child. "Now sweetheart," he said menacingly. "You can't be doin' things like that, or I'll have to see that you're punished." She could feel his hot, stinky breath against the side of her face. He began to grope her with his hands, and she resisted the urge to vomit as he squeezed he breasts. The man with the handlebar moustache, who was uninjured, stood in front of her, and began to unbuckle his belt. "We're going to make you pay for what you did to our friends," he said, joyfully.

She closed her eyes, waiting for it to be over, but he never touched her. She heard a loud crack, and opened her eyes wide. The man with the handlebar moustache fell to his knees, his head at a sideways angle, his neck snapped. His body crashed to the floor, and lay motionless. Bane was standing behind where the man once was, furious. His eyes danced with murderous rage, and anger seethed off of every inch of his body. The short man behind her instantly forget Natalie, and ran towards Bane, wielding the piece of metal that, moments ago, was at her throat.

Bane grabbed the man's arm as he swung the piece of metal at him, and twisted, breaking it easily. The short man cried out in pain, and dropped his makeshift weapon. Bane wrapped his hands around the man's throat, and squeezed. The short man tried to scream, but no sound came out, and he struggled against Bane's grip until he lost consciousness. Bane twisted his neck, snapping it instantly, and casually dropped his lifeless body to the floor. The man landed in a crumpled heap, and Bane proceeded to go after the man with the beard, the one whose nose Natalie had broken.

The man with the beard hid behind the bench as best as he could, terrified of Bane. "Please," he begged. "Don't hurt me. We were just playing around, honest to God. Please, I'll do anything." His words were panicked and quick, and Bane fed on his fear. Natalie had never seen him this way, and it was frightening. "Do you fear me?" Bane asked calmly, but with a violent rage radiating from every square inch of his massive frame. "You have not begun to know fear. Today, you will see retribution for what you have done. It will not be swift. Today, you will be repaid ten-fold for the suffering that you have caused others."

The man with the beard looked like he was about to shit himself. He was shaking violently as Bane reached behind the bench, and pulled him out by his arm. The man kicked and screamed, but Bane paid him no heed. He swiftly twisted, and broke the arm that he was holding on to. The man slumped to the floor, crying out in pain, and begging for mercy. "Mercy?" Bane scoffed. "Would you have shown this woman mercy, had you been successful in defiling her?" He placed his boot squarely on the man's other arm, reached down, grabbed his hand, and gave a sharp twist, effectively breaking that arm as well.

"Now for your legs," Bane said jovially. The man was in tears now, his begging much more insistent. Bane brought down his boot, hard, over the man's kneecap. There was a satisfying crunch of bone. The man with the beard cried and begged for mercy. "Please!" he cried out. Bane glared at him, with no pity in his eyes. "I suppose I could show you some mercy," he growled. "I grow tired of breaking your weak body anyways." He quickly reached down, grabbing the man by the neck, and lifted him off the ground. "Today, you see retribution." With that, Bane gave a quick twist of his hand, and snapped the man's neck. He released the man, and his lifeless form dropped to the floor.

Bane surveyed his handiwork with approval, and then he turned his attention towards Natalie. She had not moved since he had entered the room. She stared at him, still processing what had just happened. Bane looked her up and down intensely, as if memorizing every curve and detail of her body, and Natalie suddenly remembered that she had no clothes on. Blush rose up in her cheeks, as she became embarrassed by his stare and her vulnerability. She reached onto the bench, and grabbed her clothes quickly, covering herself from his view.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern lacing his words, and his normally calculating green eyes going soft. "I'm fine," Natalie replied. "Thank you. You saved me. I… I owe you my life. Thank you, for everything." Bane nodded in acknowledgement of her gratitude. "Get dressed and come with me," he demanded. "I'm going to make sure that this never happens again."

Bane turned around to give her some privacy, and Natalie did as she was told. She dressed quickly, and watched as Bane started picking up the dead bodies of the men, and slinging them over his shoulder. "What are you doing?" she asked, confused. "I'm protecting you," he said, his voice dictating that he did not want to answer any more questions. He exited the shower with the dead men slung over his shoulders, and Natalie followed. The walked through the sparring ring, and out the door on the other side. Prisoners stared at them as they walked past, wondering what was going on. Bane kept walking, until he was in the center of the yard. By now he had the attention of every prisoner in Arkham. He grabbed the bodies one at a time, and threw them at the feet of the closet prisoners. There was absolute silence as the prisoners looked at the lifeless bodies in front of them, and then at Bane, and then back to the bodies, fear and confusion setting in.

Bane spoke loudly enough so that all could hear. His mechanical voice was low and dangerous, and spoke with a air of someone who was not to be trifled with. He gestured to Natalie as he spoke, making his point incredibly clear. "This woman," he said dangerously. "She belongs to me, and she is mine. These men on the ground before you, tried to take what was mine, and I slaughtered them like dogs. I will do the same to you as well. Do not touch her. Do not talk to her. Do not even look at her, for she belongs to me, and I protect what is mine. If I even suspect that you are thinking of her, I will rip you apart limb from limb, and you will see retribution for your actions."

With that, Bane turned around, and scooped Natalie up into his arms, holding her up against his chest. He walked off with her, leaving the other prisoners frightened and speechless, knowing that he had made his point. He walked back into the prison, and started heading up the stairs to his cell with Natalie still in his arms. She nestled into his chest, feeling safe there, and taking in what had just happened. Bane had claimed her as his. He was protecting her from the other prisoners. Part of her was irritated that he talked about her like she was his property, but another part of her felt that he had feelings for her and was only trying to protect her with his possessiveness. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Whatever the truth may be, she knew one thing, and one thing only. Bane had saved her life.


	11. Chapter 11

**I just want to start off by saying how incredibly sorry I am to anyone that lost friends or family in the Boston bombings or in the explosion in West. It's been a bad week for America, and my thoughts and prayers are with the people of these two towns. I would also like to say, for atiketook, that yes, I do indeed love Game of Thrones. I read the first book, and I've been hooked ever since! Thank you guys for all your reviews! It totally makes my day! Please keep reviewing and let me know what you like (or don't like). I want you to be happy with this story too. Anyways, here's Chapter 11. Read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 11

The next day, Natalie went to Arkham for work, as usual. She was exhausted. She had not slept at all last night. She kept thinking about Bane, and how he had saved her from those men. After her sleepless night, she had come to the realization that some time ago, she had developed feelings for Bane. This was disconcerting to her, but with the events of yesterday, those feelings were now much deeper and more complicated than she ever cared to admit to anyone, even herself. She didn't like where this was going, but her heart was beginning to overrule her head.

Natalie hated being vulnerable in any form. Bane had seen her naked and helpless yesterday, and that had made her vulnerable to him physically. Her newfound feelings for him made her vulnerable to him emotionally. She was both embarrassed and angry at herself for her weakness.

She had spoken with the guards, after the events of yesterday and they now allowed her to carry her knife into the prison, and for that she was grateful. Maybe one good thing did happen because of that mess. As she walked into the main area of the prison today, she noticed that something was different. It was completely silent. The usual yelling and catcalls from the prisoners in their cells was not forthcoming today. The prisoners glanced at her, and then looked away, not saying a word. It seemed that they were taking Bane's threat seriously. Natalie noticed the change with her other prisoners, Nick and Jennifer, also. They ignored her, and wouldn't even look at her when she brought them food.

She was apprehensive about seeing Bane today after everything that had happened, especially since she was torn over her feelings for him, and embarrassed by the fragile state that he had seen her in. Natalie's fears were alleviated when Bane greeted her like he usually did, and said nothing about the events of the day before. Although she was relieved, she was still embarrassed, and as a result, did not talk to him much. Bane noticed that she was not her usual self, but said nothing about it until later that day.

Natalie brought him his dinner, and said goodbye for the day, but before she could leave, he stopped her. "You are embarrassed," he said simply. "It is embarrassing to you that I should see you in such a fragile state, and I have observed that it troubles you greatly." She met his eyes, shame written across her face. "I never wanted you to see me like that, and I don't want you to think of me any differently now that you have."

Bane understood what she was saying. He hated anyone seeing weakness in him, and she felt the same way. He did not think of her any differently after the events of the day before, and in fact, he had been made aware that on some level he cared for her. He wanted to find some way to let her know that nothing had changed between them, and that he did not think her weak. Bane knew that his words alone would not be enough to placate her. It would not be enough for him either. He had to prove it to her though his actions.

"Stay here," he said gently. "I want to show you something." Natalie was silent, but did as he asked, curiosity playing on her facial features. Bane took a sheet from his bed and threw it over the camera in the corner of his cell, blocking any outside viewers. He would not give them the satisfaction of seeing this part of him. He then reached up, placed his hands on the straps of his mask, and began to undo them. "What are you doing?" Natalie asked, concern present in her voice. Bane looked at her for a moment, his eyes dancing with life. "I'm leveling our playing field, little one," he replied matter-of-factly. "I want to show you my face. I want you to see what I really look like under this mask."

Natalie was afraid, but not of what she might see. Nothing could make her think less of Bane. She was afraid for him, and the pain that he would feel without his mask. "Don't take it off," she said quickly, panic beginning to build in her tone. "You will be in pain, don't do it." He ignored her, and pulled the straps loose. "I want you to see me," he said, firmly this time, leaving no room for argument.

Bane removed the mask from his face, and sat it on his bed. He felt some pain, but it was bearable for now. He walked over and stood before her, waiting for a reaction. Natalie gasped as she looked upon his face. His features were masculine and handsome. He had a broad, strong face, and a sharp jaw line, but what caught her attention most were the scars. Deep gashes that had formed thick scar tissue, ran across his cheek, down his lips and chin, and finished at his throat. His nose was worse. One side was normal, while the other was mostly bone, the flesh having been ripped away by a knife, or some other sharp object.

"Do you find me repulsive, little one," he growled, anger and sadness lacing his words. His natural voice was deep and masculine, and she was taken aback by the sound of it. Natalie looked at him for some time before responding. "No," she finally said softly. "I do not find you repulsive. Do you mind if I touch your face?" Bane was taken aback by her request. He had expected her to be disgusted with what she had seen, and not want to look at him anymore, much less touch his mutilated face. Surprise was present in his green eyes, as he nodded his head, approving her request.

Natalie moved forward slowly, closing the gap between them, until she was about six inches from him. She thought to herself about how she had been wrong before. This did change the way that she thought of Bane. She respected him more now, for making himself vulnerable to her, and she felt honored that he had chosen to share this part of himself with her.

She reached up, and gently placed her hand on his face. He flinched at her touch, and she withdrew her hand quickly. "Does it hurt?" she asked, concerned. "No," he replied sincerely. "Forgive me, for no one has touched my face since I have had the mask put on, and I am not accustomed to it." Natalie gently placed her hand on his face once again, and began to trace his scars with her index finger. She started at his cheek, and traced them all the way down his face. She paused briefly at his lips, taking in their softness under her fingertips, and then continued down to his throat.

Bane shivered a bit at the feel of her fingertips gently caressing the soft skin of this throat. She touched his nose next. She started at the top, running her fingertips down the bridge, and bringing them to rest against the exposed bone on the left side of his nose. His breath caught in his throat as she explored every inch of his ruined face. "It's beautiful," she said, awed.

"Beautiful?" Bane scoffed. "My face is completely destroyed and disfigured, and you would have the nerve to call it beautiful?" He was under the impression that she was lying to him to spare his feelings.

"Yes," Natalie replied sincerely. "I don't see you as disfigured and broken. I see a warrior. You are brave and strong. You fought hard and survived, even when the odds were stacked against you. These are your battle scars, and you should wear them proudly." Bane was surprised by her words, and the sincerity of her tone.

"You do not find me repulsive?" he asked, genuine surprise in his voice. "Do not spare me my feelings, little one. I can handle the truth." His gaze was stern, and for the first time, Natalie could see how his emotions played on his entire face, instead of just his eyes. "You think that I would lie to you?" she asked, somewhat hurt. Bane still held his gaze on her, not believing her words. "I think that you might withhold the truth to spare my feelings," he replied, still stern.

"Well then…" Natalie said, thoughtfully. "I guess I will just have to prove to you that I am sincere, and not simply sparing you your feelings." She slowly inched a little bit closer to him, never breaking eye contact, her gray-blue eyes filled with determination. Bane chuckled a bit at her response. "How exactly do you plan on proving that, little one?" he asked her, a challenging tone to his voice, as if they were playing a game and he was daring her to make a move. Natalie was calculating her options. Like Bane, she knew that actions spoke louder than words, and after some mental thought and deliberation, she decided on a course of action. She grinned as she spoke her next words, knowing exactly what she was going to do, and not bothering to care about the repercussions of her actions.

"If I was not sincere, and I found you repulsive, I would not be able to do this…" she said, leaning in, and gently placing her soft lips on his scarred ones. Bane seemed startled at first. His eyes widened in surprise at her boldness, but once he was over the initial shock, he wrapped his massive arms around Natalie, and pulled her into his chest, returning her kiss, despite the beginnings of pain that he began to feel. Their lips moved in unison, and she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Their kiss was soft and gentle at first, but quickly became fierce and passionate as their desire for each other grew. Natalie couldn't breathe. It was the most perfect moment that she had ever shared with another person. As her lips tasted his, and she became drunk off of her desire for him, she felt wanted for the first time in a long time. She felt his desire for her as well, not just in the passion of his lips, but also against her lower abdomen, and she began to run her hands down his broad chest, feeling the muscle beneath his taut skin. His eyes danced with delight at her skin against his, and she felt the warmth or desire between her legs as her hands traveled down his chest and came to rest on his belt, her body melting to his. She never wanted it to end, but their kiss ended abruptly as Bane jerked away from her, staggering back. He had ignored his pain for too long.

His face contorted in unbearable pain, and he quickly made his way towards the bed and his mask. Natalie watched him, and was horrified by what she saw. He almost made it to the mask, when another wave of pain washed over him. She ran towards him as soon as she realized that he was about to fall. Bane stumbled as the pain became too much for him, and he lost his footing. The floor of his cell rushed up to meet him, and he tried to grab onto the bed as he had done before, but he knew that he wouldn't make it this time.

As he prepared for the impact, Natalie threw her arms around his waist, and caught him before he hit the floor, using every bit of strength that she possessed to hold him up. He was incredibly heavy, even heavier than he looked. She slowly pulled him back against her chest, and lowered him gently onto the floor. He was wheezing, and his chest was heaving from the pain.

Natalie quickly grabbed Bane's mask from the bed, and placed it over his nose and mouth. Bane breathed in deeply while she re-attached the straps of his mask, pulling it tight to his face. His body was shaking as he tried to get the venom back into his system. Natalie knelt beside him, and pulled his head into her lap, trying to keep him somewhat comfortable. Several minutes later, the shaking stopped, and he appeared to be regaining his strength.

"Thank you," Bane said, sounding very tired and frustrated. She nodded and helped him to his feet. "Who did this to you?" she asked angrily, ready to dispense justice to the asshole who had condemned him to this life of pain. Bane still seemed frustrated, but he answered her question.

"When I was very young, I was sentenced to a life in this place called "The Pit." My father had been sentenced to life down there for murder, and when he died they decided that I should carry out the remainder of his sentence. I don't remember much about life before the pit. When I was a little older, a woman was placed in the cell next to mine. She was pregnant, and soon gave birth to a little girl." He paused for a moment, as if remembering exactly how the story went, and then continued. "One day, the doctor in charge of the woman forgot to lock her cell, and she was raped and murdered by some of the other inmates. I managed to rescue the girl, and raised her as my own. Her name was Talia."

Bane took a deep breath as he continued, and Natalie hung on his every word. Whoever Talia was, she had been very special to him. "When Talia was about seven or so, she decided that she wanted to escape from the pit. I supported her decision, because the pit is no life for a child. As she began to climb to freedom, some of the inmates tried to kill her. I managed to fight them off, and she escaped, but one of the men took a knife to my face and left me to die. Talia came back for me, but the damage had already been done. I was barely alive, and she took me to her father, who she had managed to find after she escaped. Her father was the leader of the League of Shadows, and he was a powerful man. Him and his men saved my life, and put this mask on me to keep the pain at bay."

Natalie felt privileged that he had chosen to share this story with her, and she knew that it must be hard for him to talk about. "What happened to her," she asked. "What happened to Talia?" Bane looked away from her, sadness in his eyes. "She did not survive Gotham," he replied. Natalie empathized with him. "I'm so sorry," she said quietly.

He turned to face her once again, all sadness gone from his eyes now. "Don't be," he said simply. "She was so consumed by revenge after her father was murdered, that she did not care about anything else. She was not the same person. She was not my Talia anymore." Bane's voice was curt, and Natalie knew that this particular conversation was over. She decided to change the subject.

"How long can you go without your mask?" she asked, a thoughtful curiosity playing on her features. Bane arched an eyebrow at her, perplexed by her tone. "About five to ten minutes maximum. Why?" His green eyes were quizzical as he met her gaze. Natalie grinned. "I think that I can help you with that," she said proudly. His eyes danced with delight once again, and she began to formulate a plan for making a new, long-lasting, pain relief drug for him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you all for the follows, favorites, and reviews! I love hearing from you guys and it makes my day! I have to tell you, that I fear I cannot keep Bane locked up for much longer. I'm bored with him behind bars, so I will rectify the situation very soon. Anyways, hope you all have a spectacular week. Thank you for reading my story! Please review! This is my first fanfic and I need your input. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 12**

Natalie spent almost every waking moment of her free time trying to concoct a long-lasting pain drug for Bane. She had been working on it for several days, and didn't feel that her dosage mixtures were quite right. She wanted a drug that was similar to his Venom, but it needed to be in injectible form so that it would go straight into his bloodstream and work faster. Each time she would create something, she would take it to Bane and test its effectiveness on him. So far, he had been able to extend his time without the mask some, but not enough to satisfy Natalie.

Life with Bane had become routine to her. Everything was so simple at the prison, unlike her life at home. Her brother, Robbie, had called her several times, asking her to come home to Texas. She missed him more than anything, but she was not ready emotionally to go back home yet, and she didn't want to leave Bane. Natalie had not told Robbie about her feelings for Bane, and he probably would not understand even if she did. She had tried to keep her feelings for him a secret from the general and Mike also, but she spent way too much time with him to play her interest off as mere fascination.

Bane and Natalie's relationship had not changed much since he had entrusted her with his past, and they had shared an intimate moment together. Bane was not an affectionate man by any means. Gentleness and kindness were not in his nature, and she had accepted that. Natalie knew that he cared for her, and that was all that mattered. Neither one of them were sure if their kiss was a one time thing, or if it was the beginning of something more, and they were both skeptical about making another move.

Almost a week had passed since their moment together, and this day had started out like any normal day. Natalie had showered, eaten breakfast, grabbed her syringes of Bane's Venom and her newest pain concoction that she was itching to try on him, scratched Blackjack behind his ears, and left for Arkham. She was not prepared for what waited for her once she arrived.

General Reamer and Mike were both standing by the door to Bane's cell. Mike looked bored and nonchalant, the general had a huge grin plastered on his usually stoic face, and Bane looked absolutely furious. Violent rage burned in his eyes, and she could tell that he wanted to hurt them.

"What's going on here?" Natalie asked, cautiously, as she walked towards them. Something was not right, and judging by the general's smile, she was probably not going to like whatever she was about to hear. "Ah, there you are!" the odd, smiling general exclaimed, still grinning broadly. Natalie was overcome with the sudden urge to hit him, and wipe the smug grin from his face, but she restrained herself as he continued speaking. "Your friend Bane here, has finally been issued a trial date. We were just informing him that the Feds would be coming to pick him up, and transfer him to a secure location in a federal prison for trial next week. Isn't that wonderful?" The general's grin spread over his entire face, lighting up his eyes, and filling his words. Natalie's urge to strike him intensified ten-fold, and the hall started to spin as she processed the meaning behind his words.

She felt sick and numb. Her eyes met Bane's as she fought hard not to throw up. Anger burned in Bane's eyes, and as they met hers, Natalie saw a flicker of sadness and longing fill them, but the anger quickly burned back into his eyes and stayed there. She went numb. All of her senses failed her as she fought to process the general's words, and she began to shut down. Bane glanced at her once again, concern shining through his anger as he took in her blank, expressionless, dead eyes. She was not dealing with the news well, and he was worried about her. She was always so happy and full of life, but as he saw her now, she was nothing but a shell of her usual self.

Natalie said nothing. She didn't have to. The general acknowledged her silence, and continued speaking, still grinning ear to ear. "Since you two have grown close over the past few months, I have decided to have Mike accompany you at all times when you are with Bane, until he is taken into federal custody next week." He sneered at her emotionless and lifeless expression as she listened to his words. "We would not want Bane to accidently escape. That would be unfortunate for everyone." His voice was low, sharp, and carried dangerous undertones and the promise of retribution if Natalie were to defy him. He said nothing else, but walked away from her slowly, leaving her with Mike and Bane.

Natalie shut down. She said absolutely nothing to Mike, and only spoke to Bane when necessary. There was nothing to say. Bane was respectful of her silence, and angry with himself for being the cause of her pain. He hated himself for hurting her. He wanted to comfort her in some way, but he had no idea where to even begin. He could kill thousands of men with his bare hands, but when it came to women, he was completely lost. He felt awkward and helpless as he looked into her lifeless eyes, and the pain and guilt that he felt because of her current state was insurmountable.

The day passed slowly and awkwardly, with neither of them talking, and Mike's watchful gaze keeping them from expressing any kind of feelings that they may have had on the matter. Natalie went home that night, still numb from the news. She made dinner for herself and Blackjack, and ate on the couch in silence, with the black shepherd's head in her lap. Once she was finished eating, she took the glass plate that she had been eating on, back into the kitchen to wash it. As she stared down at the plate, realization suddenly came crashing down upon her. She was going to lose Bane.

Her hands began to tremble, and the plate slipped from her fingers, falling to the floor. She tried to catch it, but was not quick enough. The plate made a crash as it hit the floor, shattering into a million pieces. Glass flew through the air, cutting Natalie's exposed arms as she reached down to save the falling plate. Crimson blood began to flow from her newly formed cuts, dripping down her already scarred arms, and onto the tile floor. Blackjack whined uneasily from the door, sensing that something was wrong. Natalie stared at the blood dripping from her arms, and sank to her knees in the floor, broken glass scattered all around her.

She had to be dreaming. She could not bear the thought of losing Bane. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she thought of her life without him. She could go back home, but to what? An empty house? Everyone she got close to seemed to die. Natalie issued a shaky laugh as she felt the very fabric of her sanity tear away, leaving her with nothing but empty madness to take its place. She felt the world that she had known before stripped away from her, and now held meaningless in the face of this new reality. Bane was going to trial. Bane was going to be executed. Her sanity slipped away and a war began to rage in her mind between what she knew was right, and what she wanted.

Bane had become the most important person in her life over the past few months, and she could not lose him. He had saved her life. No one had ever cared enough about her to do anything like that, and for that, she owed Bane her life. Natalie would be damned if she sat by and watched him be executed without doing something to stop it. She was determined not to let him die. At that moment, she knew what she had to do, even if it cost her her own life. She owed it to Bane, and she would die for him if necessary. A plan began to formulate in her mind, and she was glad that she had a week in which to carry it out. Natalie knew what she had to do. She was going to free Bane.

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The week passed by painfully slow for Bane. His time at Arkham was coming to a close, and he was anxious about leaving Natalie. He had been worried about her at first, when he had seen her shut down after the news of his trial had reached her. Now however, she seemed very focused and determined, and Bane was not sure what had caused the change. He had not had a chance to speak with her privately since Mike was constantly hanging around. The conversations that they did have were very guarded and broad due to their audience.

He was frustrated with their lack of time alone, and to make matters worse, Natalie and Mike talked now. They talked a lot. Bane did not like the way that Mike looked at her. He hated how Mike's eyes roamed over her body freely, and Bane wanted to snap his neck for looking at her in such a way. He had begun to think of Natalie as his, even though in reality he knew that he had no real claim over her. It did not sit well with him that another man was trying to take what belonged to him. Bane was continuously surprised by the intense feelings of jealousy that rose up within him every time that he saw them together. He was used to getting whatever he wanted, and their friendship made him feel like an angry, petulant child. He had assumed that once he was executed that she would move on and forget about him, but it still hurt to see her talking to another man. He had never felt this way about anyone before, not even Talia. When he saw them together he lost his usual cold and calculating demeanor, and acted purely on his instincts, which was unlike him. He didn't like not being in control.

The day before Bane was scheduled to be picked up for trial, he finally got a break. Natalie came in as usual, and much of the day was spent in silence because of their audience. Neither one of them knew what to say, and they certainly didn't want to talk in front of Mike. Throughout the day, they frequently glanced at each other, as if each of them were willing their thoughts to be made to the other, but they spoke very little. As evening approached, and their last day together began to come to a close, Mike broke the silence. "I'll give you two a few minutes alone, since this is the last time that you'll get to see each other." His voice was hushed, so that only Bane and Natalie could hear. He was about to walk off, when he suddenly scrunched up his nose, as if he had just remembered something. "If you tell the General that I did this, I'll kill you," he added quickly, and with that he turned around and walked off towards the stairwell, leaving Bane and Natalie alone together at last.

Bane's eyes lit up as Natalie entered the cell with him. There was so much that he needed to tell her. His eyes roamed over her body, hungrily taking in her appearance as she approached him. It might be the last time that he would get to look upon her, and he never wanted to forget what she looked like in this moment. Her brown hair hung down in her face, and her gray-blue eyes danced with life as she grinned at him shyly. After taking in her body with his eyes, he finally met her gaze. Her eyes were full of emotions, some he could recognize, and others he could only guess at.

Suddenly, he was overcome with the urge to touch her. He wanted to slide his fingertips over the soft skin of her face and neck, and to press his lips passionately to hers again. He reached out his hand to touch her, but then withdrew it, thinking better of the act. He was still not sure if their kiss last week had been a one time thing or not, and he did not want his attempt at affection to be rejected. Natalie sensed his hesitancy, and decided to placate him. "It's ok," she whispered, coming to a stop about six inches from him. Against his better judgment, Bane reached out and gently placed his massive hand on one side of her face, curling his fingertips around, and running his knuckles down the side of her face, enjoying the sensations her soft skin left on his. The feeling was electric, and sent shivers down his spine, leaving him hungry for more. When he reached her jaw, he ran his fingers softly down her jaw line, and cupped her chin in his hand, lifting it up so that she could look into his eyes.

"Natalie," his mechanical voice purred softly. "Before I leave, I have a favor to ask of you." She held his gaze intently, curiosity playing on her face. He continued speaking, and what he said next shocked her. "I want you to take over the League of Shadows in my stead. The men of the league are strong and loyal. They will need someone to look to for leadership, and I believe that you are strong enough to lead them. All that you have to do is command them in their fight against injustice." He looked into her eyes, gauging her reaction to his request.

Natalie was completely thrown off by what Bane was asking her to do. Lead the League of Shadows and command assassins? Some days, it was a miracle that she even remembered to go to work, or to feed her dog, much less lead a small army of assassins. Bane saw the confusion and the fear spread across her face, and seep into her eyes. Her mouth drew into a tight line as she took in his words.

"You can do this," he said, as gently as he could. "You are strong, and you are capable. If I doubted you at all, I would not be asking you to do this for me. I have complete faith in your ability to lead my men." Bane was smiling now, she could tell by the crinkles that surrounded the corners of his eyes. Natalie stared at him for a moment, and finally decided to give voice to her fears. "They won't listen to me," she said insistently. "I'm not you, and I have a feeling that a woman's commands might not be taken seriously." She spoke with honesty, and Bane was ready to settle her fears.

"They will listen to you," he said, his voice firm and truthful. "My men are not only loyal to me. They are loyal to the League. I will call my second in command, Barsad, tomorrow when they give me my phone call. I will vouch for your abilities, and they will respect you. Barsad will arrange an escape from Blackgate for himself, and I will have him come to pick you up. He is trustworthy, and he will take care of you while you assimilate into the League." Bane's eyes wandered over her face once again, seeing her relax somewhat from listening to his words.

"The League is now my legacy," he continued. "It was once Ra's Al Ghul's and Talia's, but with their deaths it passed to me, and with my death it shall pass to you. Honor my memory by accepting and continuing my legacy." Natalie took in his words, and silently nodded her head in agreement. She could not deny him this. She would become the new leader of the League of Shadows. Bane acknowledged her answer, and expressed his gratitude. "You are the closest thing that I have to family," he said simply. "I trust you and I want to give my legacy to you." Natalie was honored that he would choose to entrust her with his legacy, but she was also afraid of failure, although she would not tell this to Bane.

They looked at each other in silence for a few minutes, each taking in the other's appearance, as if it would be the last time. Finally Bane spoke again, breaking the silence. "What is your home in Texas like?" he asked curiously. Natalie started at his question, surprised by his curiosity. A smile broke over her face as she thought of her home. "It's beautiful," she said, her smile lighting up her eyes. She looked alive again, and Bane loved seeing her this way. "I have fifty acres with nothing but cows, grass, trees, and ponds as far as the eye can see," she said happily. No neighbors; just the wild animals that run through the trees on the outskirts of my property. I have a small house that I built all by myself, and a big porch, with cedar posts, that I like to go out and drink my coffee on every morning. The view is absolutely breathtaking as the sun is rising."

She closed her eyes as she imagined being home, and Bane could almost see the beauty of the land that she was describing to him. "If I can manage to escape, will you take me there sometime? I would very much like to see your home." His low, mechanical voice broke through her thoughts of home, and brought her back to reality. Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm as she regarded his request. "Of course," she said matter of factly. "When you are free, I will take you to see my home." Bane noted how she put emphasis on the word when, like it was something that was destined to happen, and not a matter of chance. He pondered on this for a moment, but was not sure what she had meant by it.

Their time together was winding down to a close. Mike would be back any moment. Natalie moved in even closer to Bane, until her nose was almost touching the bottom of his mask. She placed her small hand gently on the side of his face. His eyes widened in surprise at her touch, and he felt the shiver up his spine again. Bane placed a hand on the small of her back, pulling her to his chest, and ran his other hand through her soft hair, and down to her neck. Natalie lightly brushed her fingertips down the side of his face. Once she reached his mask, she kept going until her fingers touched the mouthpiece.

She slowly removed her hand, and stood on tiptoe, gently pressing her lips to the mouthpiece of his mask. She felt his hot breath through the mouthpiece, and saw his startled eyes upon her at this expression of affection. She drew away from him slowly, a single tear running down her cheek, and she spoke softly, so that her words were for him and him alone. "Goodbye Bane," she whispered, more tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She turned and left, leaving Bane confused by her actions, and wishing that he could leave with her.

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The phone rang three times before anyone picked up. "Hello?" Robbie's deep voice rang out over the cell phone. "Hey Robbie, how's everything going?" Natalie asked, eager to hear from her little brother. He was happy that she had called, and they spent the next half hour catching up. After they were finished talking about all the crazy things their mom and older sister had done recently, and laughing about stuff that happened when they were kids, they were slowly running out of things to talk about, and their phone call began to wind down.

Just as Natalie was about to hang up, her voice took on a serious tone. "I just want to tell you that I love you," she said sincerely. Robbie caught her tone, and instantly became worried. Natalie was rarely ever serious with him. There was something wrong that he didn't know about. "What's wrong?" he asked cautiously, his voice slow and steady over the phone. She tried to keep the fear and uncertainty from her voice as she responded. "Nothing," she lied smoothly. "I just wanted to tell you that I love you." Robbie wasn't buying her lie. He had known her for long enough that he could sense the tension in her words, and he knew that she was lying to him. "Okay then," he said tentatively, knowing that whatever was wrong; she obviously didn't want to talk about it right now. "I love you too. Have a great week, and I'll check in with you in a few days," he said, determined to check in with her later. They said their goodbyes quickly and hung up.

Natalie made all the preparations for her plan, and had scheduled a visit for early in the morning at Blackgate. She tucked a small explosive that she had made with gunpowder and a remote detonator into her boot. Tomorrow she was going to visit Bane's second in command, Barsad. She needed his help so that her plan could run smoothly. She was going to free him, and then she would free Bane.

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Robbie sat in silence for a few minutes after his phone call with Natalie. Something was wrong. Natalie was too proud to ever admit it, but she needed him. Whatever it was that was going on, he was determined to help her. He instantly made a decision. He looked up the number for the nearest airport and booked a flight for the next day. Robbie was going to Gotham.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you for all the comments! I love hearing from you and seeing your reactions to my chapters! I am always open to comments or suggestions so let me know exactly what you think. Sorry this chapter is a little bit later than usual. I intended to write last weekend, but I got some baby Nigerian Dwarf Goats to raise, along with all my other crazy hobbies, and it turns out that they are master escape artists. I spent the entire weekend chasing and tackling goats, so… writing didn't happen this weekend. Anyways, please forgive me for my late update. Here's chapter 13. Read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 13

The day of his transfer dawned, and Bane was exhausted. He had not slept at all the night before. He had paced his cell for much of the night, furious, and thinking about Natalie. He had called Barsad last night, and spoke with him concerning her. They had made all the necessary arrangements to integrate her into the League of Shadows, and he had made clear to Barsad that she was to be his new boss, and that she was to be respected. Still, Bane did not want to leave her. He wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was at that point. It was obvious that she cared about him, but beyond that, he wasn't sure how she felt. It's not like it really mattered anyways. The feds were coming for him today, and the odds of him escaping were slim. He would definitely try, but he knew realistically that they would most likely plan ahead, and shoot him with a tranquilizer through the bars of his cell before they even attempted to take him into custody.

Bane sighed. The feds might not be as strong, or as smart as he was, but he was certain that they were not idiots, and they would not take any chances of him escaping. If he wanted to escape, he would have to outsmart them, and then overpower them. Perhaps he could feign illness or pain, and get the bastards into the cell with him. If he could get them into the cell, he could kill them, and escape. He would have to get out of Arkham somehow. Perhaps he could find Mike or the general, and take their keys. He doubted that they would have let Natalie come in to work today. Maybe that was a good thing, he thought to himself. He did not want to drag her into this unless it was necessary. Escaping Arkham would be no easy task, and he began to make a game plan for escape in his head.

As Bane was mulling over his options, the lights in his cell, and in the hallway, began to flicker erratically. A few seconds later, the lights went out completely. Bane was at full attention now. He heard shouting from the guards down the hallway, and he could tell by their colorful language that this had not been a planned event. He was listening to their words, and chuckling to himself over their unorganized stupidity, when he heard a loud click. Bane froze. He recognized the sound as the same one that his cell door made when it was unlocked.

He was skeptical at first, but he moved quietly through the dark, and found his way over to the door. It was unlocked. He pushed the door open with ease, and he paused in the entry way to his cell. He was not sure if this was some sort of trick, or if he was simply the luckiest man alive. Bane saw other prisoners on his floor stepping out into the hallway. It would seem that their doors had come unlocked as well. He followed suit, stepping out into the hallway. They stood there skeptically for some time, unable to believe that this was happening. The backup generator finally kicked in, dimly illuminating the hallway, and Bane realized at that moment, that the power would most likely be off for some time. The guards were nowhere to be seen, and he was very confused. What was going on?

The other prisoners were celebrating their freedom by smoking some cigarettes that they had snuck in, and they motioned for Bane to join them. Bane was about to politely decline, when a strange voice rang out over the intercom of the prison. "Good morning, prisoners of Arkham Asylum!" The voice was disgustingly cheerful, with a small, but detectible trace of exuberant madness. Bane cocked an eyebrow, knowing instinctively that the voice did not belong to anyone who worked in the prison. Whatever was about to happen would not be good.

The voice continued, still disgustingly cheerful. "In case you are wondering who is addressing you, this is the Joker, and over the next three days, I will give you the choice of liberty or death!" There was a soft, erratic laughter on the other side of the intercom that sent a chill up Bane's spine. He found himself suddenly believing all of the stories that he had heard about how crazy the Joker was. He sounded mad, even over the intercom.

The Joker quickly stopped laughing, and continued. "Let's start a little anarchy, shall we? For the next three days, this prison will be on lockdown. No one goes in, and no one comes out. Your task is to make it down to the bottom floor, and to be the last person standing in this prison. The last person alive will earn their freedom, and will walk away. If you refuse to play my game at any time, or if you do not win within the allotted time, I will take it upon myself to be the winner, and I will blow this entire prison into tiny little pieces, and no one will survive. You have three days, fellow prisoners, so put a smile on your face, and enjoy the chaos." He laughed once again, the sound eerie, and bouncing off of the walls of the prison. After that, the intercom went dead, and silence filled the hallway once again. Bane steeled himself for what was about to happen.

The other prisoners looked at each other, skepticism and confusion prominent on their faces. It happened quickly. One of the men furthest from Bane lunged at the man next to him, and the silent hallway sprang to life. The prisoners turned on each other like rabid dogs. Two of the men ran towards Bane, cold determination in their eyes. Bane grabbed the first man who reached him, as he was lunging for his mask. He quickly turned, and threw the man full force into the wall of the hallway. A crack rang out, as the man's head and back hit the wall, and Bane knew that his chances of survival were not good.

Bane turned his attention to the second man, who is slightly more intelligent than the first. He tried to keep a distance between himself and Bane, but as he threw a punch, it was immediately clear to him that he had made a dire mistake in challenging Bane. Bane grabbed his hand in mid swing, twisting it hard, and snapping his wrist like a toothpick. The man screamed out in pain, but Bane was already towering over him. He grabbed the man by the throat, picking his feet up off of the ground, and began to squeeze tightly. The man's face turned a sickly blue color from lack of oxygen, and he tried to beg for mercy. This only made Bane squeeze harder, completely crushing his windpipe. The man's head lolled back, and Bane dropped his lifeless body carelessly on the floor.

The other prisoners in the hallway were more concerned with killing each other, and did not notice Bane as he made his way to the stairwell. The man that he had thrown against the wall was laying on the floor, coughing up blood. No doubt, Bane had broken his ribs and punctured his lungs, causing him to bleed internally. It would be a slow and painful death for this man. The man looked up at Bane from his position on the floor, fear and anger contorting his face. "Fuck you," he growled, spitting thick, dark, blood onto the cool concrete floor. Even as a dying man, he really was pathetic, Bane thought. With a swift movement, he brought his boot up, and kicked the man square in the face, causing him to cry out in pain. Tears welled up in his eyes, and blood began to run down his face from where Bane's boot had made contact with his nose. Bane walked off, leaving the man to die, and made his way into the stairwell.

The stairwell had not yet become filled with prisoners fighting, but it would happen soon. Bane would go down as far as he could before the stairwell became overcrowded, and see if he could make it outside. He could be free. The thought almost made him giddy. He was not meant to be locked up in a cage, like some sort of animal. He could do this. He could make it out alive.

In that moment, he thought of Natalie. He wanted to feel her touch again, to press his lips to hers, and run his hands through her hair. She did something to him that he could not explain. He had found himself thinking of her more and more, and he became upset when he did not get to see her. Her strength, willpower, and courage, never ceased to impress him. She was truly one of a kind. She saw him for who he was, and accepted him, despite everything that he had done. Natalie was so full of life. She made Bane want to be more than he had ever hoped to become. With her, he was a man instead of a monster. Did he love her? Maybe. He was not sure yet. Bane wasn't totally sure that he even knew what love was. He had not seen much of it in his lifetime. He had loved Talia, but that had been different. He had practically raised her. His feelings for Natalie were different, they were much stronger than that. Bane only knew one thing for certain. Natalie was his, and he would do anything to protect her, and keep her safe. He would die for her if he needed to.

Once he escaped from this godforsaken prison, he would find her, go to her, and ask her to leave with him. He would not force her against her will. He wanted her to choose to be with him. Bane was thinking over this in his head while climbing downstairs, when a frightening thought came to him suddenly. He did not know for sure, that Natalie had not come in for work today. He froze in his descent. What if she was here? Right now? A shiver ran up his spine at the thought. If she was here, then she would not survive. She was strong and smart, but she was no match for a prison full of men fighting for their freedom. He had to find out if she came in to work today. He took the stairs two at a time now, until he reached the eleventh floor. Bane knew that at the end of every hallway, there was a roster posted that contained the information of all on duty employees and the floors that they were being stationed on for that particular day.

He ripped open the door of floor eleven with a ferocity and determination that he did not know he possessed. He quickly grabbed the roster that was taped to the wall, next to the stairwell. The paper roster seemed tiny in his hands, as he read the names off one by one. Bane's heart dropped, as his eyes reached the bottom of the list. Natalie Ford was scrawled in big, messy handwriting, almost like her arrival at the prison had been an afterthought. She had been listed as working on the ninth floor today. She was here, two floors below him. He crumpled the paper in frustration, and threw it on the ground. The prisoners of the eleventh floor began to notice him, and a few that were not already engaged in fighting, began to shout at him, and run towards him. Bane steeled himself for the fight ahead. He had to get to the ninth floor. He had to get to Natalie.

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Robbie sat in the backseat of the taxi, anxious to hear from his sister. He had tried calling her twice that morning, and had not received an answer. He was beginning to get worried. It was not like Natalie to ignore his calls. He looked out the windows, watching the city of Gotham as they drove past. He never understood why his sister had moved here. He knew that she had needed a change of scenery, but Gotham? It was ugly, and half of it lay in ruins. They were repairing the city slowly, but it would take time to fix all of the destruction.

Destruction, he thought, that had been caused by the very man that Natalie had been hired to care for. Bane was a monster, and Robbie feared that his sister had become far too attached to him, and blinded to what he really was. The city passed by in a blur, and they came to the outskirts of town soon after.

The taxi pulled up into Natalie's driveway. Robbie did not see her Jeep. She was gone, but where? He paid the taxi driver, and walked up to the door, using the keys that Natalie had given him when she moved here, to let himself in. Robbie was greeted at the door by Blackjack. "Hey Jack!" he exclaimed happily, ruffling the shepherd's fur, and allowing the big dog to lick his face. "Where's Natalie?" he asked, almost forgetting that the dog could not answer him. Blackjack whined anxiously, and trotted off, sniffing around the house as if looking for her. Robbie decided to look for her as well, checking every room in the house, and finally concluding that there was no way that she could be there.

He decided to make himself at home, and try calling her again later. He had no idea where she could be. He was still concerned about their phone conversation from the night before. She had sounded almost as if she was saying goodbye, and that had scared Robbie. He sat down on the couch, and motioned for Blackjack to join him. The black shepherd complied, laying his massive head in Robbie's lap. He stroked the dog's fur gently, wondering absentmindedly where Natalie could possibly be. If he could not contact her by nightfall, then he would get the police involved. He was really worried about her. Fear rose up within him with an intensity that he had not know since his father had died. He was afraid that he would not see his sister again.

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Ever since the Joker had announced his game of chaos, Natalie had been laying low, waiting before striking. She was strong and fast, but she knew that realistically, she was no match for packs of bloodthirsty prison inmates. They seemed quite eager to kill her, so she was doing her best to outsmart them. She hid behind one of the cell doors, staying out of sight. When one of the inmates would come close enough, she would ambush them. She would stab them in the chest, or slit their throats with the knife that she kept in her boots. Some of them fought, while others were too surprised by her ferocity to do anything. Most did not possess weapons, although there were a few that did.

Perhaps it was wrong of her to kill unarmed men, but if she did not kill them, she knew that they would kill her, and she intended to live as long as possible. She had no other choice. After she had stabbed them, or slit their throats, she would wipe the blood from her knife, and then make a quick cut along her forearm to mark her kills. She had nine so far.

It was barbaric, she knew, but for some reason, she felt like Bane would be impressed. It wasn't like she didn't already have scars all over her arms anyways. A few more wouldn't make much of a difference. She wasn't really sure why she felt the need to impress Bane, when she would probably never get to see him again. She had acknowledged that she had feelings for him, but those feeling went much deeper than she cared to admit.

In her heart, she knew that she had fallen for him, knew that she loved him, but it was difficult for her to admit to herself. He accepted her for who she was, and she had grown to love him deeply over the last few months. She had come to this realization only a few days ago. Her breakdown over the news of his trial had helped her to see things more clearly. She wanted him, more then anything else, and more than her empty life. Natalie would never admit it aloud, never speak those words to him, for to do so would make her weak and vulnerable, but she loved him all the same. Her last breath would be spent so that Bane could fight for his freedom.

Footsteps approached her hiding place, and Natalie prepared herself to kill. As she saw the man round the corner, she jumped out, letting loose a crazed war cry, and strategically thrust her knife into the man's throat, jerking it towards her to rip his artery. He struggled, but fell to the ground, losing blood quickly. He twitched a few times, blood spewing from the tear in his neck, and then he remained still.

Natalie breathed a sigh or relief, and wiped her knife off. She brought her newly clean knife to her forearm, feeling the kiss of the steel against her bare skin. Mark number ten was made swiftly and neatly on her forearm to signify the kill.

As she was about to put her knife up, and hide behind the door once again, a man spotted her from down the hallway, and barreled towards her at full speed. This one was armed. He brandished a small piece of steel that looked an awful lot like a piece of bed railing. Natalie ducked as he swung the steel at her, thrusting her own knife at the same time. She felt a surge of victory as her knife plunged into the man's lower chest. She twisted the knife, and the man whimpered in pain. Suddenly, Natalie felt a sharp pain, and a strange warmth spreading down her side. While she had been focused on killing this man, she had forgotten that he was armed. He had thrust his makeshift knife deep within her side.

She stepped back quickly, letting the man fall to the ground. He was spitting up blood, which meant that he was bleeding internally, and would not live long. Maybe she wouldn't either, she thought, a pang of regret washing through her. Wet, sticky blood stained her clothes, and she began to feel sick and lightheaded. She felt the need to lie down, but she knew to give in to that urge would be death for her.

"Fuck you, you stupid bastard," she spat at the man who had stabbed her. He was fading fast, but she could not resist the childish urge to curse him anyways. A few minutes passed, and the man died on the floor, life draining from his glassed-over eyes. Natalie cleaned her knife, and cut her forearm once again, for kill number eleven. She noticed a cigar and a lighter hanging out of the pocket of the man she had just killed. Fuck this man, she thought to herself. She was going to smoke his cigar for the trouble he had caused her, and there was not a damn thing that he could do about it.

She grabbed the cigar and the lighter, and staggered back to her spot behind the cell door. Standing was becoming more and more difficult. She slid to the ground, feeling the rush in her head from the sudden movement. She used the lighter, and lit up the cigar, taking a few long drags to settle her nerves. If she was going to die, she certainly was not going to deprive herself of this last, and final pleasure. She was going to smoke this damn cigar.

Natalie smoked in silence, thinking of home, Robbie, Blackjack, and of course, Bane. She wished that she could see him one last time, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen. Her vision was beginning to blur. The pain wasn't too bad, but she could feel herself slipping, quickly. She allowed herself to think fondly of Bane, and the feel of his strong hands around her waist, and his lips pressing against hers. She thought of him as darkness began to appear at the corners of her vision. She wasn't ready to die, but if it meant that Bane could escape, it would be worth it. Natalie smoked her cigar, thought of Bane, and relaxed as the darkness began to close in around her.

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Robbie was still sitting with Blackjack, when he heard the front door creak open. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had tried calling Natalie again, but to no avail, and he had been getting ready to call the cops. Blackjack jumped off of the couch, running swiftly to the door. The hair on his back stood up, and he let out a low, menacing growl. Whoever was at the door, it was not Natalie.

Robbie pulled a knife from his pocket, and began to slowly make his way towards the front door. Blackjack had pinned an unfamiliar man into the corner by the door. He was alternatively barking and growling at the man now, his sharp, white, teeth flashing against his black muzzle. Robbie took a good look at the intruder.

He was tall and thin, with dark hair, brown eyes, and a moustache and goatee that connected, adorning his otherwise clean shaven face. He look foreign, although Robbie could not tell where he was from. He looked surprised, and seemed to be calculating his next move, when he noticed Robbie.

He spoke boldly, but Robbie could hear a slight tremor, and fear in his voice, which he attributed to Blackjack. "Natalie asked me to come to her house, grab a few things, and feed her dog. If I had of known that her dog was Cujo, I would have told her no." He gave a shaky laugh, trying to be funny, but with a one hundred and twenty pound dog snarling at him, this proved to be a difficult task.

"Please call off the dog," he asked politely, fear still evident in his voice. Robbie assessed the man, and his story. He was confused. This man knew Natalie, but how? Obviously, she had given him the keys, or he wouldn't have been able to just walk in. He needed to know what was going on.

"Blackjack," he commanded the shepherd. "Stand down." He tried to give the command with as much authority behind his voice as he had heard Natalie use before. Blackjack gave him a look of what seemed like loathing, gave one last snarl at the strange man, and stepped away, letting him venture out of the corner. The man breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who are you?" Robbie demanded. "And how do you know my sister?" The man chuckled, and then spoke again, this time more relaxed than before. "You are Natalie's brother?" he asked skeptically. "We look nothing alike, I know," Robbie said, already knowing what he was thinking.

The man regarded for a moment, and then continued speaking. "My name is Barsad," he said carefully. "Your sister is, in effect, my boss. I work for an organization called the League of Shadows." Barsad noted the look of pure confusion on Robbie's face, and knew that he would have to explain everything to him, because he was obviously clueless. "Sit down," Barsad commanded. "We have much to discuss. Your sister, and my former boss, and friend, are in grave danger, and they need our help."

**Hope you enjoyed this! I also hope I kept everyone in character as much as possible. Please review and let me know what you think. Your comments are always valued!**

**To Jaeden: I could not PM you, but thank you for your support of this story! I was told once that the best writers write about what they know, and since Natalie is my first OC, I made hr very much like myself. I feel that it is important that you are able to connect with the OC as well as Bane, so I stuck with what I know. Thanks for the review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hope you are all enjoying the story! Thank you for the reviews, follows, favorites, etc… It encourages me to write faster and better. If you have any suggestions please don't hesitate to tell me. This is my story, but it's your story too, and I want to give you the very best that I am capable of. Also, sorry again for being later than usual with this update. My kids at school wanted to blow things up and shoot potato launchers this week, so I had to make sure no one went to the hospital. Please forgive me! With that being said here's Chapter 14. Read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 14

Bane ran down the stairs as quickly as he could, not caring how much attention he was drawing to himself. Prisoners had started to take up their fighting in the stairwell, and Bane was simply plowing into the ones that got in the way of his descent. He chuckled to himself at their startled faces, as he slammed into them, knocking them to the ground. He did not have time to revel in killing them slowly; he would do that later. Right now, he had to find Natalie.

After what seemed like a lifetime, he arrived on the ninth floor. He had knocked down twenty-two men, and thrown eight over the stairwell, causing them to fall to their deaths. Bane was on a mission, and no one was going to get in his way. He ripped open the door to floor number nine, taking it completely from its hinges. There was a group of men fighting beside the door, and they immediately turned their attention to him, after he had not so subtly made his presence known.

Bane took the door that he already had in his hands, and thrust it into the throat of the man closest to him. The man tried to scream, but the sound was cut short as the metal door slammed into his vocal chords, and snapped his head backwards with enough force to almost fully decapitate him. The man died instantly, spewing blood like a geyser from the huge gash in his throat.

Bane clutched the metal door tightly, and swung it, hard and fast, at the next closest man. This time, he was successful in severing the man's head from his shoulders. Wet, sticky blood spewed from the man's unattached head and neck, splattering across Bane and the other prisoners, and the headless body fell to the floor.

At this point in time, the other prisoners successfully came to the conclusion that their fate would be decapitation if they did not run. They took off as fast as their legs would carry them, and Bane dropped his door and pursued them, letting out a guttural growl of rage. He chased the men down the hallway, catching up to the two slowest. He reached out, grabbing the one on his right by the back of the neck, and the one on his left by his shirt.

Bane picked up the man on his right by the neck with one hand, and slammed his face into the cement floor, reveling in the crack of his fragile skull against the cold cement. The man on his left tried to pull away and run, but Bane grabbed him around the waist, lifted the man above his head, and brought him down quickly onto his knee. Bane was pleased with the snap of the man's back, and he discarded the man's lifeless body against the wall. He growled once again, knowing that the other men had escaped for now, and he continued down the hallway.

He was halfway down the hallway, when he noticed a large pile of bodies, covered in dark, crimson blood. Bane stopped, and knelt down to look at them, hoping that he would not find his Natalie amongst the dead. There were eleven total in the pile, and they all looked as if they had been ambushed. The stab wounds in their necks and chests, suggested that there was a clever prisoner on the loose, who had surprised these others with an ambush. Bane decided to keep his guard up, as he did not want to end up like these men.

He began to check the cells, intending to foil the plans of whoever might be lying in wait for him. The first couple of cells that he checked were clear, but as he rounded the corner of one of the cell doors, he saw her. Natalie was slumped against the cell door, eyes closed, and lifeless. She clutched a knife in one hand, a lighter in the other, and a burned out cigar was clenched between her teeth. The sight of her was almost comical, except for her bloodstained t-shirt, and the pool of thick, dark blood beneath her.

Bane issued a strangled cry of pain and anguish at the sight. He rushed forward; bending down, and scooping her small, still body into his arms. He pressed her body tightly to his chest, one small tear escaping, as he held her in his arms. He pressed his mask gently to her forehead, the anger and sadness building up within him, and threatening to escape. All he could think about as he held her close, was that he had failed her. Bane was too late.

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Barsad caught Robbie up to speed on everything that had happened. Robbie was still having a difficult time believing everything that he had heard. "So you mean to tell me, that Bane appointed Natalie as the leader of a top secret league of mercenaries?" he asked incredulously. "And that she broke you out of prison, and is currently in the process of freeing Bane from Arkham Asylum?"

Robbie arched an eyebrow in disbelief, and continued. "Not to mention the fact that she also freed the Joker, and is stuck right in the middle of mass prison anarchy and battle royale?" Barsad nodded in assent, taking note of Robbie's skepticism. "Cool," Robbie said quickly, nodding. "I need a drink." With that, he abruptly stood up, went into the kitchen, and began searching for Natalie's stash of alcohol.

Barsad stepped in front of him, getting his attention once again. "You have to take this seriously," he demanded. "Natalie could use your help." Robbie regarded him with a look of absolute incredulity. "You have got to be kidding me…" he said, annoyance and skepticism heavy in his tone. He began to pace the kitchen, Barsad regarding him with a questioning look, and Blackjack cocking his head to the side, in response to his strange behavior. "Shit…" Robbie mumbled. "Natalie's always been eccentric, but this is fucking insane…"

Robbie was still pacing when Barsad spoke. "You can do what you want, but regardless of what you choose, I'm leaving in half an hour. I have to grab a few of Natalie's things, load up Cujo, and then I'm gone. Make up your mind before then," he said matter of factly, walking off. Robbie wrinkled up his nose at Barsad's bluntness, and Blackjack sneezed, as if annoyed with his new nickname.

Robbie watched as Barsad grabbed some canned goods from the kitchen, and made his way into Natalie's bedroom, grabbing her gun from the nightstand, and a few of her knives from the dresser drawer.

After about twenty minutes had passed, Barsad had grabbed everything that he needed from the house, and called Blackjack to follow him. Before he opened the door to leave, Robbie stepped into the living room. "I'm coming with you," he said, his tone leaving no room for questions or argument. Barsad grinned in response, glad that he had decided to come.

The two of them loaded up Natalie's Jeep, which was now in the driveway. Robbie realized that Natalie must have given Barsad the keys; otherwise there was no way that anyone would ever be able to take the Jeep. Natalie loved that Jeep, and if anyone wanted to steal it, they would have to do it over her dead body. Robbie chuckled a bit thinking about his sister's usual tenacity. She had always been the wild kid, and Robbie had loved her for it. His other sister Amy, was boring in comparison. Robbie and Natalie had always been close, and it was this closeness that drove him to climb into her Jeep with a man that he had never met before, to go to some hideout that he had never heard of, and rescue a mass murderer from a prison. Awesome. Maybe he needed to be in this asylum too, because obviously, he was crazy. Barsad started up the Jeep, and they backed out of the driveway, headed towards the unknown.

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It was three o' clock when Commissioner Gordon had received the call. Something was going on at Arkham Asylum. He had received a call from an outside security company that supplied Arkham with its security systems. They had called, because they were concerned. The security system at Arkham had been disabled, and they had not received a call from the general about any sort of drill.

Commissioner Gordon instantly became worried. He knew General Reamer personally, and he was a stickler for order. He would not do something like this. Fear rose up within him as he considered all of the possibilities. He had known a federal envoy had been going to pick up Bane for trial around noon. He had called the office for the federal agency in charge of the transfer, and they had informed Gordon that their team was running late, and had not yet arrived at Arkham. They had also promised him, that when their team returned with Bane, that they would call to let him know. Commissioner Gordon still felt like something was off, but he decided to wait for their call before making any decisions.

It was now eight o' clock, and he had heard nothing. He was really worried. Gordon called in his two most trusted officers, Josh and Jason, to brief them on what was going on. He wished, not for the first time, that John Blake still worked for him. John had always had a sixth sense about things like this. He always seemed to know what to do, and Gordon certainly wished that he had Blake's skills today.

As Josh and Jason entered his office, he quickly briefed them on what he knew, and they agreed that it needed to be checked out. Gordon dismissed his officers to get a team together, and he grabbed his gun off of his desk, mentally preparing himself for what might be about to happen. They were going to Arkham, and he wasn't sure what would be waiting for them there.

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Bane held Natalie in his arms, not wanting to believe that he had failed her. He held her close, pressing his face into her hair, when suddenly, he felt her stir in his arms.

"You know," Natalie said hoarsely, "If you really want to kill me, there are faster ways than oxygen deprivation." Bane had not registered until then, how tightly he had been holding her. He loosened his grip, and let out a shaky laugh at her attempt at humor. Even half dead, she was still trying to be funny. She was alive. He couldn't believe it, but she was alive.

"You came for me," she croaked, smiling at him as best as she could. Moving hurt, so her smile was weak at best. Bane looked at her, relief and concern both evident in his eyes. "Of course I came for you," he said gently. "I am your protector, and I will always look out for you. Now, don't waste your energy talking. I need to dress your wound, and stop the bleeding."

Bane walked into the nearest cell, and gently laid Natalie down on the bed. He quickly exited the cell, and started searching the bodies of the men outside. Natalie watched in silence, as he checked the men's pockets, and patted them down, until he found what he was looking for.

Bane pulled a small non-descript flask from one of the men. He removed the lid, and poured a tiny bit of the liquid onto his hand. Satisfied that he had found what he was looking for, he walked back into the cell with the flask. He slowly pulled up Natalie's t-shirt, careful not to cause her any pain, until the wound was exposed.

Natalie shivered as the air hit her exposed skin, and she felt very aware of Bane's eyes on her body. She knew that he was trying to tend to her wound, but his gaze still made her blush all the same.

Bane looked upon her exposed mid section. The wound was fairly deep, and she had lost a lot of blood, but somehow she had survived, and he wasn't about to let her die. His gaze wandered down her body, enjoying the way that her soft, creamy skin teased him. He saw her blush under his intense gaze, and it brought him back to the matter at hand.

He spoke to her softly, his mechanical voice strained. "This will be very painful for you, but it will prevent infection." Natalie nodded as best as she could, and Bane moved to her side, gripping her hand firmly. He slowly poured the contents of the flask onto her wound. Natalie held back a cry of pain, as the alcohol hit her open wound, effectively sanitizing it. Bane released her hand, and ripped off a strip of fabric from the bottom of his shirt. He placed his hand under her back, and lifted her up with ease, as he wrapped the strip of cloth around her entire waist. He wished that he could stitch the wound up properly, however he lacked the necessary tools for stitching, so he settled on tying the cloth tightly around her waist.

Bane tied the cloth so that the most pressure would be applied directly over the wound to stop the bleeding. Natalie had lost a lot of blood, but now that her wound had been clean and bandaged, he believed that she would survive. The only obstacle to her survival would be infection, which he hoped that the alcohol would prevent. When he was finished, Bane pulled her t-shirt back down gently, covering her bandaged wound. Natalie reached out, and placed her hand on his massive arm. "Thank you," she said sincerely, her gaze firmly locked on him.

Bane nodded in acknowledgement of her gratitude, and she saw his brow furrow as he noticed the fresh, symmetrical cuts on her forearm. "What are those?" he asked, a quizzical look on his face. It took Natalie a moment to comprehend what he was referring to. As realization dawned on her, she smiled weakly. "It's my body count," she said proudly, looking to Bane for his approval. Bane counted the marks on her forearm, taking notice of the precision of each mark. She saw his eyes crinkle up at the corners, and she knew that he was grinning under the mask.

"Impressive," he purred. "You have done well on your own, little one." His approval pleased her, and she grinned as wide as the pain would allow her. "I have a plan," Natalie said suddenly. "I think that I can get us out of here." Bane considered her words for a long moment, searching her face for the truth behind her words. After some time, he came to the conclusion that she did indeed have a plan.

"Rest," he said to her, in a voice that left no room for rebuttal. "You are too weak to do anything right now. We will talk about this later. Get some sleep, and I will stand guard." Natalie was reluctant, and wanted to argue with him, but his commanding gaze changed her mind. There was wisdom in his words. She realized that she was incredibly tired from all of the blood loss. Her lids were heavy, and she could barely keep her eyes open. Natalie nodded her assent to Bane, and he took up watch outside of the cell. She could feel the heaviness of her eyelids threatening to take over as she watched Bane.

He had come back for her. She was going to be okay. Natalie's last thoughts were of him, as her eyes slid shut, and she fell into a deep sleep.

**To Lexi: Thank you for your response to this story! I really appreciate your support! I hope that this continues to meet your expectations, and I will try to post Chapter 15 really quickly. I am almost done writing it, I just need to type it up. **

**To Guest: You are nameless, but I want to say that this is not the last chapter. I would not do such a thing to you! I am only about halfway done with this story. Not really sure how many chapters I will have at the end, but somewhere between 20 and 30 ish I think. Thank you for reading and commenting!**


	15. Chapter 15

**I would like to say thank you for reading and reviewing! I love hearing from you guys! Keep the reviews coming! It inspires me to continue this story, and honestly, I'm amazed at the response I've received from this. You guys are absolutely amazing! There are a few people that I would like respond to on here, because I could not personally message you:**

**Lexi: Of course I mentioned you at the end of the last chapter! If you are going to take the time to read and review my work, then the least I can do is take the time to thank you personally. So thank you! **

**Karla M: Wow… I honestly don't know what to say… I am absolutely honored that you think my writing is good. I will be honest with you, and tell you that I am not a writer by any means. This is my first fanfic, and I did not even know there was such a thing as fanfiction until about 5 months ago. The reason I am writing this, is just to see if I can. I wanted to challenge myself, and thought that it would be fun to give it a try. I can tell you everything you would ever want to know about drugs, diseases, chemical reactions, and how the human body works, but I couldn't tell you what an adjective or and adverb, or any of that stuff is to save my life. I guess my writing is good because I've read a lot of books, and sort of know what it's supposed to look like… I don't really know… Thank you for commenting! It totally made my day! I hope this chapter meets your expectations. Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**It was also brought to my attention that I did not correctly address the height difference between Bane and Natalie. I intended for Natalie to be around 5' 5" so about average height. Bane is tall, but I wanted to make Natalie come up to around the bottom of his mask. I apologize that I did not write a few scenes correctly for their height difference, but I just wanted to clear it up for all of my visual readers out there. Anyways, here's chapter 15. Read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 15

When Natalie awoke, she was feeling much better. She must have been sleeping pretty hard, because it appeared as though Bane had changed the cloth wrapping around her waist. He had taken his shirt off, and was now leaning against the cell door, keeping watch. There were several bodies at his feet, indicating that he was performing his job well.

Natalie's breath caught in her throat as she looked upon his broad, muscular back. Bane felt her eyes on him, and turned around to check on her, concern still present on his face. When he saw her awake and sitting up in the bed, his eyes lit up, although the concern never went away. "How are you feeling, little one?" he asked gently, sliding over to her, and standing next to the bed.

For a moment, Natalie was unable to form a coherent thought, much less a response. She was completely overcome with aching need for him. A shiver ran up and down her spine, as she looked upon his well muscled, unclothed, upper body, and a blush began to rise in her cheeks. At first, Bane was concerned with her lack of response, but as he noted the heat rising in her cheeks, understanding suddenly dawned on him.

"You like what you see?" he growled, lust for her dripping from his words, and shining through his green eyes. God knows he wanted her. More than anything else, he wanted her to be his fully and completely, but it was necessary for him to control himself. He was afraid, should he act upon his desires, he would inadvertently hurt her physically. She was already injured, and she would need every bit of her strength to make it out of Arkham alive.

Natalie met his eyes, lust for him just as strong in hers, and boldly answered his question. "Yes," she said, her voice strong and unwavering. "I like what I see." Bane's green eyes went dark, and took on an animalistic quality, as he sneered beneath his mask. "Be careful of your words, little one," he growled in lustful pleasure. His mechanical voice was low, and dangerous. "I may have unusual self control, but I am still a man, and men have certain needs."

Natalie grinned at him smugly, knowing that she had the same effect on him that he had on her. "Maybe I want to take care of those needs for you," she replied boldly, bringing her hand up to rest on Bane's exposed lower abdomen, and then slowly trailing her fingers down to his belt buckle. He growled in pleasure once again, and grabbed her wrist roughly. Bane wrapped his other arm gently around her waist, conscious of her wounds, and pulled her to his chest easily. He brought his mask down to her ear and whispered roughly. "Be careful what you ask for, little one." His breath was hot on her ear, and his mask pressed firmly against the side of her face. "You just might receive it."

Natalie shivered at his words, and she felt her desire for him growing by the second. She pressed her lips to the bare skin of his neck, feeling him shiver beneath her touch. Natalie felt his hardness pressing against her, the proof of his desire, and this only strengthened her resolve. She kissed a path down his neck, to his chest, feeling his pectoral muscles tighten beneath her lips.

Bane pressed his mask into her hair, and allowed his massive hands to wander up her t-shirt. His hands were calloused and rough, but his touch was warm and gentle. He ran his hands slowly up her body, exploring every inch of her skin by touch. When he reached her breasts, he cupped them firmly in his hands, growling softly into her hair. Natalie moaned at his intimate touch, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressing her face to his chest.

Suddenly, Bane sat her down on the bed, and pulled away, becoming aware for the first time of what he was doing. If he did not stop now, he would not be able to. "We should not," he sighed in defeat. Natalie's face fell in frustration, and Bane chuckled. "I will not hurt you," he said, amusement in his voice. "And besides," he continued. "You deserve better than a bed in a prison cell, and a man with a mask, who can't even make love to you properly." His eyes narrowed, and his words were full of frustration and bitterness.

Natalie was about to object to his statement, about to tell him that the mask didn't matter to her, but Bane never gave her the chance. "You spoke of a plan to escape," he said quickly. "Enlighten me." She took a deep breath, aware of his intense gaze upon her, and began to tell him of her plan. "From what I could tell, the stairwells are full of prisoners now," she began carefully, thinking through her plan as she spoke. "I propose that we take the elevator shaft. At the end of this hallway is a closet that has some emergency supplies. I saw some water bottles; trail mix, flashlights, and ropes. We could tie the ropes around our waists, and lower ourselves down the elevator shaft."

Natalie observed Bane's reaction to what she had proposed, and when she saw approval, she continued. "The weapons room is on the sixth floor. If we can get there, we have an edge over the other prisoners. The control room is on the second floor. If we can get there, I can fry every prisoner in this building. I propose that we climb down the elevator shaft to the sixth floor, arm ourselves, head to the second floor, fry the other prisoners, and get the hell out of this godforsaken place."

Bane's eyes lit up with approval at her plan, and he regarded Natalie with a new respect. The plan was brilliant, and maybe it was just crazy enough to work. "When will you feel well enough to move?" he asked her, concern present in his voice. Natalie moved from the bed, standing up quickly. She was still weak, but she was regaining her strength back slowly. "Soon," she said determinedly.

She looked to Bane, and then spoke as if she had just remembered something. "Before we go anywhere, I need to get your tracking device out," Bane started at her words. He had forgotten about the tracking device. "Do you know where it is?" he asked, hoping that its removal would be an easy task.

Natalie walked over to him, and circled around to his back. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and began feeling around on his upper back, causing Bane to shiver in delight at her touch. Her hands were small and delicate, and his sense went into overdrive as she touched him. "Yes," she said simply after a moment. Her hands stopped moving right over a spot on his upper back, just beneath his neck.

"Do you still have that flask of alcohol?" she asked, her tone all business now. Bane understood where she was going with this. The tracking device had been implanted under his skin, and Natalie was going to cut it out. He nodded his head, pulling the flask out of his pocket, and handing it to her. She quickly poured a tiny bit over the site that she intended to cut, prepping him for the procedure. She poured some more alcohol over her knife, sanitizing it, and cleaned it thoroughly.

"This might hurt a little bit," she said honestly, professionalism in her voice. Bane wondered if she wasn't secretly a surgeon, and chuckled to himself. "I can handle the pain, little one," he answered, amusement present in his words. Natalie took the knife, and began making a quarter inch incision all the way around the tracking device, taking it out swiftly and efficiently. She quickly poured more alcohol over the site to prevent infection, and she held the tracking device up proudly.

"Got it!" she exclaimed, grinning malevolently. Bane chuckled once again at her enthusiasm, and took the device from her, placing it between his thumb and forefinger. He crushed the device with little to no effort, and threw the tiny piece onto the ground. A sense of newfound freedom overcame him, as he knew that he would be untraceable. The tracking device had been his last constraint from the prison. He could escape now, and more importantly, he could not be stopped unless someone personally killed him.

He grinned at Natalie from beneath the mask. They were partners now, and they looked out for each other. Bane cared for her deeply, more deeply than he cared to admit, and he was not going to let anyone hurt her, ever again. Whatever it took, he was going to get her out of here alive.

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After an hour of driving, Robbie and Barsad arrived at the safe house. It was a small, run down warehouse that looked decrepit and unstable from lack of use. They parked the Jeep behind the warehouse, hiding it in the abandoned alleyway that was there. Barsad and Robbie climbed out the Jeep, Blackjack in tow, and headed towards the rear entrance.

Barsad knocked seven times, three fast knocks, two slow knocks, and two fast knocks again. Robbie realized that it must be some sort of code, and marveled in the ingenuity of it. The door opened a few seconds later, and a rough looking blond man stepped out. He was fairly large, with muscled features, and tattoos covering his arms. His face was unshaven, stubble visible across his chin, and it looked like he had just crawled out of bed. The blond man grinned as he took in their appearances.

"Barsad!" he exclaimed, grabbing Robbie's companion, and pulling him into a tight hug. "I thought I would never see you again! Welcome back!" Barsad returned the blond man's grin, and then remembered Robbie. "Robbie," he said, his voice full of enthusiasm. "This is Marc. He's one of our guys." He quickly gestured from Marc to Robbie. "Marc, this is Robbie, Natalie's brother." Marc looked him over cautiously, and then broke out into a grin once again. "A friend of Barsad's is a friend of mine," he said happily. "Welcome Robbie. Come on in, and I will introduce you to everyone."

Barsad and Robbie followed Marc into the warehouse, Blackjack still behind them. The black shepherd had been surprisingly quiet, and Robbie had attributed it to the fact that he was not on his turf, and he did not perceive an immediate threat. As they entered the main room of the warehouse, Robbie looked around. It was sparsely decorated, mostly with beer cans in the form of towers, and empty boxes stacked for use as furniture. The lighting was decent, and Robbie could see that there were several men who lived there. Cots were strewn out in the main room, and beef jerky, cigarette butts, and guns were scattered about aimlessly on the floor.

In an adjoining room, he saw four men at a table playing poker. "Guys," Marc said loudly, getting everyone's attention. "This is Robbie, Natalie's brother, and of course you all remember Barsad." The men all seemed pleased with Barsad's return. "Robbie," Marc continued. "This is Alex," he said, pointing to a thin, wiry looking man on the right side of the table. He was probably in his thirties, with short, light brown hair, and a scar on his neck. Alex acknowledged Robbie with a nod, and went back to looking at his cards. Marc continued across the table to the two men in the middle.

"These guys are our Russian brothers, Dmitri and Nikolai." Robbie observed the two brothers, seeing the resemblance easily. Dmitri was older and looked more surly, while Nikolai was younger and smiled freely. They both had dark hair and bright, blue eyes, and they were both smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey. Watching the two brothers was almost like watching mirror images. They would both take a drink of their whiskey at the exact same time, and they both acknowledged his presence with an identical wave of their hands.

Finally, Marc introduced him to the last man at the table, the one furthest from him. He was sitting in the corner, mostly obscured from sight, unless you stood right in front of the table. "This is Red," Marc stated, pointing to the man in the corner. "We can't ever remember his real name, because it's Spanish and really long, so we just call him Red." Robbie could easily see how the man had received his nickname. He was pasty white, almost albino, with bright, red hair. A long scar ran down his nose, and he spoke in rapid Spanish. "Si nos fijamos en mi otra vez, voy a cortar las pelotas y matarte mientras duermes," he said, looking straight at Robbie.

Marc gave a shaky laugh, and grabbed Robbie by the arm. "Uh…," he said, hesitantly. "He's… um… happy to see you. Let's go look at the rest of the warehouse." His words were rushed, almost panicked. Marc practically stumbled, leading Robbie quickly out of the room by his arm. Barsad followed, laughing heartily.

"What did he say?" Robbie asked, concern and fear flooding his features. Barsad merely laughed even harder, his face turning red from the exertion. "He said," he began between laughs. "He said that if you look at him again, he will cut your balls off, and kill you in your sleep." Robbie didn't think that it was as funny as Barsad was making it out to be. He scowled, and Barsad decided to lay off of him.

"You'll be fine," Barsad said confidently. "Red's like this to all of the new guys." Robbie nodded weakly, still not sure whether or not he needed to wear a steel chastity belt that night, but he decided not to dwell on it. Barsad quickly briefed Marc on their plans, and instructed him to get the men ready.

Twenty minutes later, all of their guns, explosives, food, and other necessary items were loaded in the back of Natalie's Jeep and two other unmarked, black SUVs. They all loaded up, riding two or three to a vehicle, Robbie making sure to ride with Barsad and Blackjack. He didn't trust the other men, and he certainly did not want to end up riding with Red. Blackjack laid his head in Robbie's lap, and Robbie stroked his fur, absentmindedly wondering what they would find at Arkham.

The prison was an hour and a half drive from the warehouse, but Barsad insisted that they could make it in an hour. Robbie hoped that against the odds, Natalie would still be alive by the time that they made it there. Barsad punched the accelerator on the Jeep, and they sped off into the night.

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Commissioner Gordon and his men arrived at Arkham around eight thirty. Gordon had not been sure of what to expect, but the sight that met him was horrendous. The federal team that had been assigned to transfer Bane had made it to the prison, but they had not made it inside.

Their steel plated transfer van had been flipped upside down, and was on fire. The flames had already engulfed most of the van, leaving nothing but a charred skeleton and melted aluminum on the ground. Bodies were strewn about on the ground like ragdolls, each with either a bullet to the head, or a knife to the throat.

Gordon called his men to follow him in formation, and they cautiously walked around the wreckage. They were halfway to the prison door, when a shot rang out, and Gordon saw the dirt kick up about three feet from his boots. He looked up to see where the bullet had come from, and was met with the sight of ten men in clown masks with guns. He immediately thought back to the Joker, and how all of his followers wore clown masks like these. He noted that there were several men perched atop the guard tower, and the rest were headed their way.

Gordon shouted to his men, and they all simultaneously pulled out their weapons, looking for cover, as bullets began to fly all around them.

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Bane and Natalie had successfully gathered all of the equipment that they would need for the climb down the elevator shaft. Natalie was feeling much better, and could move around and walk on her own now, although Bane insisted on carrying her for most of their trip to the storage closet and the elevator shaft.

She wasn't quite sure what to think about him sometimes. She knew that Bane was merciless, that he had killed countless numbers of people, and he never thought twice about taking someone's life. She also knew the other side of Bane, the side that carried Natalie around like a child, and watched over her regardless of the cost. He was always taking care of her, and it seemed out of place for him, almost comical. She felt safe with him, and she had not objected to being carried, because she felt some sort of sick pleasure from being in his arms.

Natalie pondered the two sides of Bane, until they reached the elevator shaft. She had been snuggled pretty deep in his chest, and he sat her down gently, as they both looked down the shaft. The elevator was on the first floor. She could see it at the very bottom of the shaft. Luck was on their side today. They would be able to climb down the shaft as far as they wanted without the elevator being in the way. Bane tied their ropes tightly onto the prison cell next to the elevator.

He tied one of the ropes gently around Natalie's waist, careful to make sure that the rope was not touching her wound. He tied the other rope tightly around his own waist, pulling on it roughly to test its strength. Satisfied that it would hold, he looked down the elevator shaft once again. Memories of the Pit came back to him as he looked down into the darkness. Being lowered down the elevator shaft was going to be like the Pit all over again.

Bane quickly swallowed his fear, but not before Natalie caught his hesitancy. She was by his side in an instant. She placed her hand on his massive arm, and met his gaze with a strength that he did not know she possessed. "I cannot promise you that this will be easy, and I cannot promise you that we will survive," she began, steely determination in her voice and her eyes. "But I can promise you that I will never leave your side. We live together, or we die together."

Bane took in her words, impressed with her courage and her unwavering loyalty to him. He nodded in acknowledgement of her words, grasping her hand tightly in his own. Together, the two of them lowered themselves into the elevator shaft, and began to make the climb into the darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you guys for all the reviews! I got a good response to the last chapter, so I have to be doing something right. I really appreciate all of you who take the time to tell me how I'm doing. It means a lot, so thanks! **

**To the nameless guest who said that they loved my story: Thank you! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on my work! I hope I can continue to meet your expectations!**

**Disclaimer: Just in case any of you forgot, I do not own Bane or any of the other characters from TDK or TDKR. I only own Natalie, Robbie, Blackjack, and my other OCs.**

**Anyways, here's Chapter 16. Read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 16

Bane and Natalie slowly climbed down the elevator shaft. They braced their legs against the wall to keep their balance, and they let out a little bit of their ropes at a time. This process was slow and tedious, but it was faster, and certainly less dangerous than taking the stairwell.

They climbed down into the darkness until they reached the elevator doors that marked the sixth floor. Bane swung carefully onto the ledge of the sixth floor in the elevator shaft, and began to pry open the steel elevator doors. Once the doors were open, he turned around, and motioned for Natalie to swing to him. She pushed off of the wall with her feet, swinging towards the ledge. Bane caught her as she was swinging, pulling her into his arms. He allowed his touch to linger for longer than necessary, reveling in the feel of her small body in his arms.

With great regret, he let her down from his arms. He Bane reached down, and untied the rope from her waist, tossing it back into the elevator shaft, letting it hang there for later use. Natalie helped Bane remove his rope as well, tossing it alongside hers in the elevator shaft.

Together, the two of them walked through the elevator doors, and onto the sixth floor. The first thing that Natalie noticed was the bodies. Dead men and women littered the floor of the hallway, and blood was splattered on the walls from their violent deaths. The air smelled sickly and metallic from the blood, and it made Natalie want to throw up. It appeared as though someone had cleared this floor before they had arrived.

At the end of the hallway, there were six men. They were at the door of the weapons room, trying the pick the lock, but they were failing miserably. Natalie heard one of the men cursing from their lack of progress on the lock. Five of these men had knives on them, stained red with blood from the other prisoners that they had killed. The sixth man, who appeared to be their leader, tightly gripped two bed rails that had been sawed of into sharp points, like swords.

The man with the makeshift swords noticed their presence immediately. He gestured to the other men, and they all started towards Bane and Natalie, weapons brandished, and murder in their eyes.

Bane nodded at Natalie, who pulled her knife from her boots, extending the blade, and grinning wickedly. These men had picked a fight with the wrong people. The men charged, and Bane and Natalie rushed up to meet them.

Four of the men headed towards Bane. He grabbed the first man that came within reaching distance by the neck, and threw him against the wall, breaking his spine, and killing him instantly. He turned his attention the second closet man, and kicked him forcefully in the knees, shattering his kneecaps. The man fell to the ground screaming in pain. Bane wrapped his hands around the man's throat, cutting off his air supply. The man struggled until his face turned blue, and Bane finished him off by snapping his neck.

Only two of the four men facing Bane were left. One man had a knife, and the other was the man with the makeshift swords. The man with the knife ran at Bane, swinging his knife wildly. Bane grabbed his arm in mid swing, breaking it swiftly. He grabbed the knife from the man's hand as he cried out in pain, and thrust the knife deeply into the man's chest. He dropped to the floor, and Bane focused his attention on the man with the makeshift swords.

The man swung at him, and Bane dodged his swords with ease, ducking underneath his swing. He struck a blow to the man's face, causing blood from his nose to splatter over his eyes, limiting his vision. He swung wildly at Bane, and one of his swords hit their mark, slashing across Bane's bare chest. The cut didn't phase Bane in the slightest. He reached out, wrenching on of the swords from the man's grip. He kicked him hard in the lower abdomen, knocking him to the ground. The man tried to get up, but Bane was already on top of him. He brought the makeshift sword up over his head, and plunged it into the man's chest, going completely through his body. A dark pool of blood poured from the man's chest, and he coughed, more blood seeping from his mouth. He began to twitch sporadically, and Bane knew that he was done. He grabbed the other sword from his hands, and turned his attention to Natalie.

Natalie was fighting the other two men from the hallway. The men slashed their knives at her, and she ducked under their arms, thrusting her own knife into the closest man's gut. She jerked the knife, first to the right, then back to the left, spilling the man's intestines onto the floor. The man dropped to his knees, desperately trying to coil his small intestine back into his body.

Natalie quickly turned her attention to the other man that had come after her. He was standing still, stunned over his friend's gruesome gutting. He overcame his shocked state quickly, as he noticed that Natalie was no longer preoccupied. He ducked as she swung at him, her knife slashing across the side of his face. Blood rushed down his face from the fresh cut, and he retaliated by swinging his own knife at her. She ducked beneath his blade, getting nicked on her left shoulder. The cut stung, but it was nothing compared to her other wounds.

The man swung again, low this time, in anticipation of her ducking under his blade. She jumped back, and his knife met nothing but air. He growled in frustration, moving towards her, swinging his knife, forcing her back against the wall. "Natalie," Bane called out. She looked up, just in time to see him tossing the makeshift sword at her. The man with the knife seemed confused for a second, and that was all the time that Natalie needed. She caught the sword in the air, and swung hard, cutting his knees. The man fell to his knees, crying out in pain, as blood soaked the floor from his wounds. He grabbed for his knife, ready to strike back, but it was too late. Natalie took the makeshift sword, and delivered the final blow, running it though his chest, and impaling him easily. She watched as the life drained from his eyes, and once she was satisfied that he was dead, she turned her attention to the man that she had gutted.

The man was almost dead, lying on the floor, and Natalie decided to finish him off. She ran the sword through his chest, stopping his heart instantly. She quickly cleaned her knife, and cut her forearm twice to mark her two new kills. Bane nodded in approval, scooping her up, and carrying her to the entrance of the weapons room.

Natalie pulled the keys from her pocket, finding the one that she was looking for. She slid the key easily into the lock, and twisted, unlocking the door. Bane reached out, and pulled open the steel door with ease. The two of them stepped inside, and were pleased with the sight that greeted them.

Bane's eyes widened in amazement, and he grinned under his mask, as he took in glorious sight of all of the weapons that they had to choose from. The first gun that got his attention was the AK-47. It had a wood stock, with a stainless barrel, and it was beautiful. He quickly picked it up, and slung the rifle over his shoulder, the strap holding it onto his back. He grabbed the 12-gauge shotgun that was sitting next to it also, and stuffed some ammo, and shells for the shotgun into his pocket, as well as a few extra magazines.

Natalie grabbed a standard military Sig Sauer AR-15, with a flat black painted stock, and a stainless steel bull barrel. She also grabbed two handguns, a .357 Magnum revolver, and a Kahr .9 mm in black and stainless. They grabbed a few grenades, and three more knives, making sure that they each had several weapons on them.

They exited the weapons room, making sure to lock it back, so that no one else could get in, and headed to the elevator shaft once again. Bane grabbed their ropes, and tied Natalie's around her waist, taking care, once again, to not let the rope touch her wounds. She helped Bane tie his rope around his waist, and he shivered as her soft hands touched his bare skin.

After she tied the rope around him, she began to inspect his chest wound. The cut was fairly deep, but overall, it was not bad. Natalie pulled the bottom of her t-shirt up, and wiped the blood from his chest as best as she could, the soft skin of her stomach making contact with his.

When she was finished, Bane reached out, and put his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. He buried his face in her hair, and ran his hands down her back, finally coming to a rest under her buttocks. He cupped her firmly, growling softly into her hair. She rested her head against his chest, and sighed deeply.

"When this is over," Bane spoke cautiously, not sure how Natalie would respond to what he was about to ask. "Will you come away with me?" She was taken aback by his question. She had assumed that her answer would have been obvious to him already. "If you want to leave and return home," Bane continued, "I will respect your decision. I will not take you against your will." Natalie pulled away from him, hurt written on her face. "Of course," she said softly, her voice full of hurt, and another emotion that he could not quite place.

"When I said that we live together or we die together, I meant it," she said firmly. "I will not leave you." Bane's eyes crinkled up in a smile, and he placed one hand gently under her chin, tilting it up, so that he could look into her gray-blue eyes.

When he spoke, it was with an emotion that she recognized as one that he only used with her. "If you come with me," he said gently, his eyes never leaving hers. "You will have to leave your old life behind. It will not be easy, but I can promise you that I will take care of you and keep you safe, and I will protect you until I take my last breath."

Natalie stood up on her toes, and pressed her lips to Bane's cheek, just above his mask. "My old life would pale in comparison to this," she said, grinning. Bane held her in his arms for a few moments longer, and then regretfully let her go, knowing that they needed to move. Staying in one place for too long would get them killed.

They lowered themselves down the elevator shaft once again, guns slung over their shoulders. They descended quickly this time, reaching the ledge that led to the second floor much faster than they had traveled previously. The elevator was directly below them, and they lowered themselves onto the top of it. The top of the elevator butted up directly to the ledge of the second floor, so they had a little bit more room to move around than they had previously, and they did not need to swing onto the ledge this time.

Bane quickly untied the rope around his waist, and then helped Natalie untie hers as well. They went through the process of loading their assault rifles, and readying their extra ammo. Through the elevator door that led to the second floor, they could hear the roar of prisoners fighting on the other side. It appeared as though the remaining prisoners of Arkham had made their way down to the lower levels.

Bane placed one hand on the door, and looked at Natalie. "Are you ready?" he asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement. Natalie cocked the barrel on her AR-15 in response. "Let's light 'em up!" she exclaimed, grinning wickedly. Bane opened the doors, and the two of them stepped into the madhouse on the other side.

The sight that awaited them was mass chaos. Prisoners were everywhere, and bodies littered the floor. They were all either trying to kill each other, or get into the stairwell, so that they could make it downstairs to the first floor.

Bane and Natalie opened fire on the crowd. Shots rang out, attracting the attention of everyone on the floor. Prisoners dropped like flies, as bullets peppered their bodies. Natalie quickly lost count of how many men she had killed. She just kept shooting. When she ran out of bullets, she ejected her magazine, and quickly loaded another, never taking her eyes off of her target.

The living prisoners dropped to the floor, trying to avoid the bullets. They had killed quite a few men, but overall they had barely put a dent in the number of prisoners. Bane motioned for Natalie to stop shooting, which she did. He stepped in front of her, standing between her and the prisoners. Natalie was about to ask him what he was doing, when she saw him pull a grenade out of his pocket. He released the pin from the grenade, and threw it into the crowd of prisoners. Their faces registered shock and horror, as the grenade landed among them.

Bane turned around, and threw his arms around Natalie, knocking her to the ground. He pulled her under his body, forming a protective barrier between her and the grenade. The explosion was deafening. Natalie's ears popped, and all she could hear was ringing. Shrapnel and debris flew past them, and blood splattered the walls and the ceiling. Bane grunted in pain as something slammed into his back, and heat overtook the small space of the hallway, making it almost unbearable.

After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only about ten seconds, the shrapnel stopped. The ringing remained though, and Natalie felt disoriented and sick. Bane rolled off of her, and laid on his side, breathing heavily, eyes closed. A large bruise was beginning to form on his back from where some debris had hit him.

Natalie felt dread begin to climb up her spine. "Bane?" she whispered, terrified that he was hurt badly. Bane said nothing, but after a moment, he opened his eyes, and pushed himself off of the floor. He stood up, shaky and disoriented, but still alive nonetheless. She grinned, throwing her arms around him, and laughing like a maniac. They were alive, and their path to the control room was clear. They were going to make it out of here alive.

Bane returned her embrace, wincing a bit when she accidently touched the bruise on his back. He picked her up, and with shaky steps, carried her down the hall, over the countless dead bodies, and to the control room, only sitting her down once he made sure that no one was left alive to follow them in.

Natalie dug her keys out of her pocket, once again finding the one that she was looking for. She placed the key into the lock, turning it, and opened the door. Bane readied his AK-47, and stepped into the room, making sure that it was clear. Once he was satisfied that there would be no surprises for Natalie, he stepped outside, letting her go into the control room.

He thought that he had seen movement from one of the cells by the stairwell, and he was going to make sure that the hallway was clear. "Do you want to go in with me?" Natalie asked, breaking Bane from his reverie. He shook his head. "I think I will stay out here," he said determinedly. "I need to make sure that this hallway is clear." Natalie nodded in assent. Her head was throbbing, and her ears were still ringing from the explosion.

She headed into the control room, shutting the door behind her, and Bane took off towards the cell where he thought that he had seen movement just moments before. When he arrived at the door of the cell, he was both shocked and pleased by what he saw. It was Mike. He had imagined killing him so many times, and here he was, cowering before Bane.

Mike was hunkered down in the corner of the cell. His eyes widened in fear when he saw Bane. "Please don't kill me," he begged, fear contorting his face. Bane grinned beneath his mask. He fully intended on killing Mike, not just for the way that he had treated Bane, but also for the way that he had looked at Natalie.

Bane moved quickly, grabbing Mike by the neck, and slamming him hard against the wall of the cell. Mike struggled in his grip, but Bane was not about to let him go. "I am going to kill you," Bane said matter of factly, his mechanical voice low and dangerous, and almost a growl through his mask. His eyes were dark with murderous rage. "Your death is going to be excruciatingly painful. So painful, that you will wish that you had never been born."

Mike panicked, thrashing wildly. Bane tightened his grip on Mike's throat, cutting off his air supply, and causing him to stop thrashing. Mike attempted to speak, but couldn't, and Bane loosened his grip on Mike's throat, so that he could say his last words. Nothing could have prepared Bane for what those last words were.

"If it wasn't for me, you would be in some federal prison, awaiting execution," Mike rasped. Bane's brow furrowed at his words, and Mike noted his confusion. "She hasn't told you, has she?" he asked, amusement creeping into his voice. Bane narrowed his eyes, not trusting Mike one bit.

"Told me what?" Bane asked dangerously. Mike laughed hoarsely at his naivety. Bane's grip immediately tightened on his throat, and he growled menacingly. "You have five seconds to tell me what's going on."

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Commissioner Gordon and his men found themselves in the middle of a firefight. They had managed to shoot down five of the ten men outside of the prison, but they had lost three of their own men in the process.

Gordon hid behind the smoldering van, only coming out to fire at the enemy, and then retreating back behind the van once again. A shot rang out, and a bullet whizzed past his head, burying itself in the ground, mere inches from his feet. He stood up, aiming, and returning fire towards the man who had almost hit him. His shot hit its mark, and the man dropped to the ground. Commissioner Gordon ducked behind the van again, and waited for his next opportunity to shoot.

Suddenly, he heard the noise of vehicles approaching. He moved to look over the van, and noticed that the Joker's men were just as confused as he was. He saw a red, four door, Jeep Rubicon, and two unmarked, black SUVs approaching. They stopped about twenty feet away from Gordon's hiding place, and seven men and a dog climbed out of the vehicles. They were armed, and began shooting the second that they stepped onto the ground.

The commissioner watched as they shot and killed two of his men, and three of the Joker's men. Clearly, these guys did not work for the Joker. One of the men looked familiar, and after a moment, Gordon remembered where he had seen him. The man that he had recognized was Barsad, Bane's second in command. "Great," he said to himself. Now he had the Joker AND Bane to worry about. He shot around the van once again, aiming for Barsad, and missed by a few inches. He ducked down, regaining his composure, when he heard someone approaching.

He raised his gun, looking for the threat, and came face to face with the biggest dog that he had ever seen in his life. The dog was well over a hundred pounds, solid black, and looked like a wolf. He was terrifying to behold. The dog snarled at him, pinning his normally erect ears flat on his head. His white canine teeth flashed in the darkness, contrasting starkly with his pitch-black muzzle.

Commissioner Gordon pulled the trigger of his gun, and felt his heart drop as he heard a loud click. He was out of bullets. He reached for his belt trying to grab his extra magazine, but it was too late. The dog had lunged the second that he saw the commissioner reach for his belt. Gordon grabbed his extra magazine just as the black shepherd's powerful jaws closed around his throat.

**Please tell me what you think! I love hearing from you guys! Am I doing ok, or can I make this better? I want this to be the best that it can be, so please tell me what you love (or hate)! Lol**

**Also, I will have you know, that this story has now become a two-notebook story. I started my second notebook of just this story. This fanfic is now officially out of control long. So, I went to Walmart and fought off all the crazies, just so I could buy another notebook and finish this chapter for you guys. Just thought you should know that I love ya'll that much…**


	17. Chapter 17

**I would just like to say thank you to everyone who read and reviewed! You guys give me the motivation to keep writing, and make this story even better, so thank you! Thank you to the mystery guest who reviewed as well! I wish I knew your name, so I could thank you in person, but glad that you enjoyed the chapter! It will be a little bit longer than usual before I get Chapter 18 up, because I won't have time to write next week, so don't freak out if it takes awhile. I promise I'm not dead, and there is no way I'm giving up on this story! This has been a fun project for me, so I will finish it! Anyways, I would never leave you for too long without an update, so here is Chapter 17. Read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 17

"You have five seconds to tell me what's going on," Bane growled. Mike chuckled a bit before answering. "This was not accident," he said, as calmly as he could manage. "Natalie orchestrated all of this." Bane furrowed his brow skeptically. "Do not lie to me," he growled. "Or your death will become exponentially more painful than you could ever imagine."

Mike swallowed hard, his eyes full of fear, as Bane tightened his grip on Mike's throat. "It's true," he continued, pleading with Bane to believe him. "Natalie planned all of this, and I helped her. I did it so that I could broadcast this online, and make millions by charging people to watch it. Natalie was never interested in the money, though. She did all of this for you."

Bane looked at Mike critically, scrutinizing his facial expression, and searching for any sign of untruthfulness. Finding none, he realized that Mike must have been telling him the truth. Natalie really was behind all of this, and even more alarming, she did it for him.

The reality of this truth sank in, and Bane found himself at a complete loss for words. Natalie was foolish for putting herself in danger like that. She could have been killed, and almost was. He felt anger for her blatant disregard for her own life, but he also felt gratitude and affection for her, and amazement at the lengths that she had gone to ensure his escape. She truly was remarkable, one of a kind.

Bane's head was reeling with shock, and a multitude of repressed feelings that he did not quite understand. Natalie frustrated him beyond all belief. She had to be the most stubborn, headstrong, spirited woman that he had ever met, and yet, these annoying qualities only endeared her to him even more.

He loved her. He did not like to admit it, but he knew that it was true. He would do anything for her. Bane growled in frustration. He was not a compassionate man, and having feelings of any kind, except for anger, was frustrating to him. He needed some time alone, to think.

Suddenly, he remembered Mike. The bastard was grinning like the idiot he was, and Bane wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug grin off of his face. Bane spoke low, his mechanical voice full of malice. "You may have played a part in my escape, and for that I can forgive your treatment of me. However, I am a jealous man, and I do not share what belongs to me. Natalie is mine, and I do not like the lust in your eyes when you look upon her. You have challenged my claim on her, and for that you will pay with your life."

Mike panicked. "I'm… I'm sorry!" he blubbered. "It won't happen again, I promise!" Bane showed him no mercy. He quickly and efficiently twisted his head, reveling in the crack of his neck snapping, and dropped his limp body onto the floor.

"She is mine," he said defiantly to Mike's dead body, giving him a good kick with his boots. He sat on the bed in the cell, thinking over everything that Mike had told him. He had to decide what he was going to say to Natalie. How could he ever convey his gratitude to her for what she had done for him? Should he even say anything at all? Bane was more confused than he had ever been before, and for the first time in his life; he was at a loss as to what he should do.

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Natalie tried to orient herself in the control room. There were buttons and flashing lights everywhere, and she tried to recall which one the General had told her would fry the prisoners. She looked at the video monitors on the far wall, trying to see how many prisoners were still alive.

There were not many prisoners on the upper floors; she could see that from the monitors. The lower floors had prisoners scattered about here and there. The second floor was totally wiped out, courtesy of Bane and herself, and the first floor was a madhouse. Prisoners had made their way from all over Arkham to the first floor. They were fighting each other for their freedom.

She could see prisoners fighting, falling, and dying, only to be replaced by others from the stairwell. She saw the Joker, standing out of the fray, next to the exit. He was grinning like a kid at Christmas, licking his painted lips every so often, and jeering at the fighting prisoners. Next to him were the bodies of some of the prison employees. She immediately recognized General Reamer among them. It appeared as though someone had taken a knife, and carved a grin on their faces. For a minute, she thought that she was going to be sick.

Natalie briefly wondered why the other prisoners had not attacked the Joker, but her question was quickly answered, as she saw several men in clown masks with shotguns and handguns standing between the Joker and the crowd.

After a moment, she turned back to the task at hand, finally discovering the button that she had been looking for. Her hand briefly hovered over the button, as she thought of all of lives that she would end, should she choose to press the button. Natalie didn't know when taking lives had become so easy to her, and it frightened her some. Her moral compass didn't always point due north, but it seemed as though she didn't have one at all now. People thought of Bane as a monster. Maybe she was a monster too. After all, they weren't so different anymore.

She pressed the button with an ominous finality, knowing very well that she would be ending the lives of hundreds of people, way too many to even begin to mark on her kill count. Natalie watched the monitors, waiting to see what would happen. She knew that they would die, but to watch it happen was horrific beyond imagination.

About two seconds after she pressed the button, all of the men in the prison dropped to the floor in unison, twitching violently, and screaming out in pain. A few prisoners were foaming at the mouth, and she saw a tiny bit of smoke rising off of a few others, as their flesh began to burn. They were being cooked from the inside out. It was absolutely horrific, and Natalie was sure that she would have nightmares about this for years to come, but she physically could not tear her eyes away from the monitors.

The violent twitching only lasted for about ten seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, the bodies were still, and Natalie could breathe again. It was over. Except, it wasn't over. She could see a confused and annoyed Joker on the monitors, walking over the bodies of the prisoners. He had survived. Mike must have taken his transmitter out, like she had done for Bane. She took one last look at the monitors, making sure that other than the Joker, and his henchmen, they were alone in the prison.

Satisfied that everyone else was dead, she exited the control room to look for Bane. She found him in one of the cells by the stairwell, sitting on the bed. Mike's body lay at his feet, obviously dead by Bane's hand. Natalie wondered how much Mike had told him, or if he had even told him anything at all.

Bane said nothing to her about it for the time being, only asking if she was okay, although Natalie swore that she could see a mixture of admiration and something else that she couldn't quite place in his expression. She was getting good at reading his emotions. The thought was strange to her, but it gave her a feeling of comfort to know the general idea of what was going on in his head.

She quickly filled Bane in on everything that had happened in the control room, including telling him about the Joker. He did not seem thrilled by this news. He paced the cell in deep thought for a while, and just as Natalie was about to speak, and break him of his reverie, he turned to face her.

"The Joker is not alone, and we are most likely walking into a trap," he spoke bluntly, not bothering to sugar coat their situation. "He could kill you, or worse. If he manages to capture you, he will most likely torture you, and cut you to get a rise out of me. I heard about what he did to Harvey Dent and his fiancé. You're staying here," he demanded, leaving no room for argument.

"What?" Natalie exclaimed. "No! I'm going with you. You can't tell me what to do!" She was practically yelling at him now, her voice increasing in volume with every word. "I will not stand by and let you risk your life fighting the Joker by yourself, while I sit up here and do nothing. Absolutely not!"

Natalie folded her arms across her chest, and glared at Bane, challenging him to defy her. Clearly, she was not backing down. Bane chucked, and his eyes lit up in amusement. She has such spirit, his Natalie.

"Little one," he said softly, not even the slightest trace of anger in his voice. "You are far too stubborn for your own good." He sighed, letting his massive shoulders drop in defeat. He knew that he could not convince her to stay with his words, and he refused to physically secure her. She would never forgive him if he did. "Fine," he said, giving in. "You can come with me, but you stay behind me at all times, and if I tell you to run, you do it. This is non negotiable."

Bane unleashed the full intensity of his stare upon Natalie, until she nodded her head in assent. "Very good, let's go then," he said quickly. Together they headed towards the stairwell, weapons at the ready, Natalie following closely behind Bane. They could not use the elevator shaft this time, because the elevator was blocking the entrance to the first floor, but all of the other prisoners were dead, so it didn't really matter anyways.

Bane opened the door to the stairwell, and they were both astounded by the number of bodies that littered the flight of stairs. They took the stairs gingerly, careful not to step on any of the bodies, or make any noise. When they reached the first floor, Bane led the way once again, meticulously searching for any signs of movement, or life. There was a hallway from the stairwell that led into the main area, and as they reached the end of the hallway, nearing the main area of the floor, they heard the scuffle of boots, and the metallic click of a shotgun being cocked.

Looking into the main area of the floor, they could see several men in clown masks, running towards them. The men began to fire upon Bane and Natalie. They dove to the ground, as the bullets whizzed over their heads. The hallway had become a death trap. They were funneled in, with no way to get out.

Bane quickly turned on Natalie. "Run!" he hissed sharply. She shook her head defiantly. "No, I won't leave you!" She was looking out for him, and this was not what he needed right now. Bane's eyes burned with anger, and he growled in frustration. They didn't have time for this. He shoved her roughly away from him, as several more bullets whizzed by them. The men were very close.

"Go, now!" he boomed. Natalie did as she was told this time, running quickly down the hallway, and up the stairs, over the multitude of bodies. The men were upon him now. One gave chase to Natalie, following her up the stairs, while the other four trained their weapons on Bane.

They did not shoot him, as he had thought that they would. They merely kept their weapons aimed his way. Bane began to slowly move his rifle, to fire at them, until one of the men spoke up. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said mockingly. "Not if you want that girlfriend of yours to keep her pretty little face."

Bane's eyes narrowed in anger, and the man sneered at him from beneath his clown mask, knowing that he had found his weakness. "Put your weapon down," he commanded. Bane slowly sat his rifle down on the floor. He would not give these men a reason to hurt Natalie.

The man, who seemed to be in charge of the others, spoke again. "I knew that you could be a reasonable man given the motivation. The boss wants you alive, so consider yourself lucky. He's quite impressed with your…skills…" He said the last word with a certain amount of cautious awe, as though he too had been impressed by the multitude of dead bodies.

The man motioned for Bane to move, which he did begrudgingly. The four men followed, the barrels of their shotguns pressed firmly against Bane's head and back. They walked him out, across the main floor, and deposited him in front of the Joker, still keeping their weapons trained on him.

Bane could see Joker wringing his hands in delight, his face contorting into a devilish grin that was much too wide for his paint covered face. He began jumping up and down in excitement. Bane scoffed in distaste. "It would seem that you have forgotten to take your Ritalin today," he growled, sarcasm dripping from his words.

Joker's eyes flashed in anger, but he ignored his violent impulse. "Careful Muscles," he responded slowly, drawing out each word. "You wouldn't want to make me angry." He cackled in delight, the sound reverberating off of the walls of the prison.

Bane narrowed his eyes in disgust. "I've won your idiotic game of chaos," he growled threateningly. "Now, fulfill your end of the bargain, and let me and the girl leave." The Joker cackled once again, clapping his hands in amusement. "I would, but uh… you see, there's a bit of a problem," he said slowly, running his tongue along his bottom lip. "My rules say that only one of you gets to walk out."

Bane was furious. He lunged towards the Joker, but he was brought up short, as Joker pulled a small box from his pocket. "Not so fast Muscles," the Joker drawled, clicking his tongue. "Whenever I attend a party, I always make sure to bring the biggest fireworks." He paused for a moment, grinning, and running his tongue over his lower lip once again. "If ya' don't play by my rules, I'll blow this joint, and then you and your uh… little girlfriend will be dead."

Bane gritted his teeth behind his mask, and balled his fists tightly, in barely controlled rage. He wanted to kill the son of a bitch more than anything. He would get shot, but it would be easy. He restrained himself for Natalie. He would not let anything happen to her, and if he could not control himself, she would be dead. The Joker would most likely carve her face, and make him watch. Bane was not going to let that madman lay a hand on her. If she was captured, then he would act, but until then, he had to preserve her life in whatever way was necessary.

Joker noted the conflicted look on his face, and laughed once again. "It would appear that we uh… have a bit of a situation here," he drawled slowly, licking his lips. "There are two of you, but only one can leave, so ya' have to choose." He paused, looking very pleased with himself, grinning from ear to ear.

"So ya' have a choice Muscles," he continued. "Will ya' choose your life and your freedom? You can walk away, and start over. Or will ya' choose the beautiful young woman, who uh…loves you dearly, despite the fact that you will never be as dashingly handsome as I am." He grinned, running his hands through his dyed green hair narcissistically.

"Well Muscles," he continued. "What will it be? Your life, or the girl's?" Bane glared at the Joker, using every bit of self-control that he possessed to keep himself from breaking his neck.

"Her," Bane said unwaveringly. "You can do what you want with me, but let her go." The Joker jumped in front of him, waving his hands theatrically. "BOOOORING!" he shouted, practically singing the last syllable. "Ya' know, I'm kind of disappointed in ya' Muscles. I expected a little more uh… self preservation after all that ya'v been through."

Bane continued to glare, and the Joker cackled once again. "Ya' know, when I played with Harvey Dent and his girl, he said the same thing. Altruism is SOOO boring." Joker flicked out his knife, placing the blade directly against Bane's throat. "Ya' wanna know how I got these scars?" he asked, licking his lips.

Bane did not respond, knowing that the maniac before him was far too narcissistic to leave his story unfinished. "I had a wife once," Joker continued. "She was beautiful, like your girl. She tells me that I worry too much. She tells me that I oughta smile more. She gambles, and gets in deep with the sharks." Bane rolled his eyes in mockery, and the Joker leaned in closer, pressing the knife harder into his throat.

"One day they carve her face," he continued. "And we have no money for surgeries. She can't take it. I just want to see her smile again. I just want her to know that I don't care about the scars. So I stick a razor in my mouth, and do this to myself," he said, gesturing to the scars that ran up half of his face, protruding from both sides of his mouth. "And do ya' know what? She can't stand the sight of me. She leaves!"

Joker leaned in, until his face pressed tightly against Bane's mask, and he stared directly into his eyes. "Now I see the funny side," he continued. "Now I'm always smiling!" He laughed uncontrollably, the sound reverberating from the walls of the prison. Joker lowered his voice, speaking softly, so that only Bane could hear him. "Maybe I'll find your girl after I kill ya'," he said smugly, running his tongue along his bottom lip. "If she doesn't care about your mask, maybe she won't care about my scars. Maybe I'll take her for myself." He licked his lips, and his eyes shone wildly.

"Go to hell," Bane spat defiantly, ready to murder the clown. He didn't care if the men shot him anymore. "You first Muscles," Joker said smugly, slicing the blade of his knife across Bane's throat.

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Natalie ran fast, up the stairs, and to the second floor. She slid into one of the cells, as the man in the clown mask behind her followed, hot on her heels. He ran past the cell at first, not quite as quick as her, and then stopped, turning around to come back. He had just made his last mistake.

Natalie rushed out from the cell, running, and tackled his lower body, forcing him to the ground. She rammed the butt of her gun directly into his face, smashing his nose and cheekbones. She could have just shot him, but him and his buddies had pissed her off, and she wanted his death to be painful.

She flicked open her knife, and held the blade up to his face. "Is this what you and your buddies were going to do to me?" she asked, furious. The man spat blood on the ground, and glared at her. That was all the answer that Natalie needed.

She ripped off his mask, revealing a young, tattooed man. She pressed the blade against his face, cutting downwards from directly beneath his eye, across his cheek, and down past his chin. Natalie took great pleasure in the whimper of pain that escaped the man as she cut into his flesh.

"You're not going to carve anyone's face ever again," she said angrily, remembering the General, and the other dead people downstairs. She brought the knife across his throat quickly, severing his carotid artery. Natalie stood up, and walked away, leaving him to bleed out on the concrete. She cleaned her knife, marked the kill on her forearm, and headed back downstairs.

Once she was back on the first floor, she moved quickly and stealthily down the hallway, towards the main area. At the end of the hallway, she saw two guards in clown masks. She would have to kill them quietly, or she would lose her element of surprise. Thankfully, they were looking across the main area of the floor, at something that was obviously more interesting than guarding the hallway.

Natalie snuck up behind the one closest to her, and simultaneously thrust her knife into the back of his neck, and threw her hand over his mouth to keep him from screaming. He was dead before he even knew what was going on. The other man opened his mouth to shout, but Natalie was way ahead of him.

She threw the dead man roughly into him, knocking him against the wall, and momentarily pinning him there. She jumped on him, throwing her body, hard, into his abdomen. He slid to the ground, in pain, and she quickly stabbed him in the chest. It was too easy. She wanted to mark her kills, but that would have to wait. She needed to find Bane.

Natalie peeked out into the main area, and saw Bane standing next to the Joker. Joker had a knife at his throat, and there were four other men circled around them, their weapons pointed at Bane. She had to get him out of there.

Natalie crept in the shadows, staying low to the ground, and against the wall in the main area. Joker and his henchmen were too busy with Bane to notice her. She moved around the room until she was directly behind the Joker. She pulled out her AR-15, sitting it on her shoulder, and she slowly took aim at the Joker. She would have to be careful not to hit Bane when she pulled the trigger.

Natalie overheard Bane tell the Joker to go to hell, and saw Joker replying, beginning to slice his blade across Bane's throat. She suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"Hey Joker!" she yelled. The Joker turned around, momentarily forgetting Bane, confusion on his painted face. Natalie grinned, as she had his attention. "Why so serious?" she asked mockingly.

The last thing that the Joker saw was the barrel of Natalie's AR-15 light up, as her ballistic tip bullet slammed him right between the eyes.

**That's the chapter! It's a little long, but I didn't want to split it up. I read several Joker fanfics before I wrote this so that I could see how I needed to write him, so I hope he was in character. I got the story about how he got his scars directly from TDK movie, so I don't own that. Also, sorry I killed him. I'll have to remember to mark my kill later lol. Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi everyone! Just want to say thank you for the amazing response that you gave me for the last chapter! It totally made my day reading your comments, and I'm so glad that I did a good job with it! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in awhile, but I just got back home from vacation. I've spent the last week and a half on a cruise ship going to Alaska and Canada, so I didn't have any time to write. I had a lot of fun, but it's good to be back on the ranch, and back in Texas where I belong. I wrote this chapter as quickly as I could, so as to not keep you waiting any longer. I had it all planned out on how I wanted to write it, sat down to start writing, and wrote something completely different, so you'll have to tell me what you think. I don't usually write chapters on the fly like this. Anyways, a little slower than the last chapter, but there was no way I could recreate that. I think it turned out okay, a little fluffy at the very end, and I almost threw up a little writing it, but this is a romance story and all, so we have to have a little fluff. Let me know what you think! Give me some comments, and show me some love lol. **

Chapter 18

Natalie watched, breathless, as her ballistic tip bullet buried itself right between the Joker's eyes. Blood sprayed out from the entry wound, painting his clown face in an interesting fashion. She saw his eyes glaze over, and knew that her aim had been true. Joker fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, and before Natalie could even register what had just happened, Bane was moving.

He slammed into the closest of Joker's henchmen, knocking him on the floor with ease, and wrestled the gun away from him before he could react. Bane shot him once in the head, and then turned his attention to the other three men.

They had been both riveted and horrified, watching their boss fall, and by the time that they reacted to Bane, it was already too late. Within half of a second, he had shot each of them squarely in the chest. They quickly fell to the ground next to their boss. They had lived together, worked together, and now they died together.

Bane heard Natalie shout to him, and run towards him. He suddenly became keenly aware of the blood running down his neck and chest. He began to feel lightheaded, his adrenaline wearing off, and he sank to his knees on the ground.

Natalie was by his side instantly. She quickly pulled off her already blood stained t-shirt, and wrapped it around his neck, tying it tight. She gently pushed him onto his side, and applied pressure over his neck, desperately trying to stop, or at least slow the bleeding. Natalie's vision became blurred at hot tears began to pour from her eyes, unbidden, streaking her face.

"Damn it Bane," she whispered. "You can't die on me now." Panicked, she looked for any kind of medical supply kit. This was one wound that would have to be sewn up, and now. Finding none, her plan of action became getting him to the parking lot, stealing a car, and calling Barsad for help.

She hooked her arms around his waist and chest, and pulled as hard as she could, trying to drag him She was able to move him a little bit, but he was too heavy for her, and she would never make it to the parking lot. Natalie reached for her cell phone, only to realize that she had lost it in the chaos. Desperate and defeated, she laid him down, and began to apply pressure to his neck once again.

"Hang in there," she whispered to him, sobbing. "Barsad should be here soon, and we're going to make it out of here." Bane nodded in acknowledgement, and brought his hand up to her face. He wiped away her tears with his thumb, while cradling her head in his massive hand.

"Do not…cry for me… little one," he managed to say, through labored breaths. His words were becoming slurred. Natalie leaned into his touch, bringing one of her hands up, and placing it over his. The other hand, she left on his neck, still applying pressure in hopes of stopping the bleeding. She was his eyes crinkle up at the corners in a smile.

"I won't let you die," she said determinedly. Suddenly, the sound of metal on metal resounded throughout the prison, and the door flung open. Natalie froze, dreading what she would see if she were to look.

Barsad and three other men came charging into the prison. When Barsad saw Bane and Natalie, he called to Nikolai to grab the medical kit. The younger, happier, Russian brother ran swiftly to retrieve the kit, while Barsad knelt next to Bane, and helped Natalie apply pressure to his neck.

Nikolai returned in no time with the kit, handing Barsad a bottle of alcohol, a needle, and surgical thread for sutures. Barsad turned to Natalie quickly. "Do you have any medical experience at all?" She could sense the urgency in his voice as he spoke, although his question had caught her off guard. "Some," she responded, not liking where this conversation was going. "I treat all of my cattle, and my dog when they get hurt, but that is hardly the same as this…"

Barsad threaded the needle swiftly and efficiently, and thrust it into her hands. "That will have to be good enough," he said, his words short and clipped, conveying the urgency in his tone. "I am a mercenary, not a surgeon, so you have to be the one to do this."

There was no time for argument. Stitching up Blackjack and her cattle hardly made her qualified for what he was asking her to do, but she had to try. She quickly drove all doubt and fear from her mind, and started working. Focusing on the task at hand allowed her to escape from her panicked state, and do something useful.

Natalie tied one end of the surgical thread, and removed her t-shirt from Bane's neck. Sticky, wet blood completely covered her shirt, and stained his neck and chest. She grabbed the bottle of alcohol from Barsad, and poured it over Bane's sliced open throat. He twitched in pain as the alcohol hit his open wound, stinging him immensely. Barsad held him still, while Natalie began to examine the cut.

Upon inspection, the wound was not as bad as she had feared. The Joker had cut his neck, but it appeared as though she had distracted him enough that he had only nicked Bane's carotid artery, instead of severing it entirely. This gave her hope, but she was still going to have to stop the bleeding somehow.

"Barsad," Natalie commanded urgently. "Have one of your men heat up a knife, or something metal. I need to cauterize his artery." Barsad nodded in acknowledgement, and gave orders to the men. Marc took his knife, heated it up under his lighter, and handed it to her when it was hot.

"I'm so sorry," Natalie whispered to Bane, knowing that what she was about to do would be incredibly painful for him. She applied the hot steel of the knife directly to Bane's artery, cauterizing the wound. Bane jerked violently, and a muffled cry of pain escaped his mask. It was all Natalie could do to stay calm. She hated seeing him like this, especially knowing that she was the cause of his pain.

When the cut in the artery was completely cauterized, the bleeding began to slow, and she removed the knife, sitting it down on the ground next to her. Now came the daunting task of stitching up Bane's neck. Natalie reapplied alcohol to the wound, and began to work. She ran the needle in and out of the skin of his throat, making sure to pull the skin together as tightly as she possibly could to lessen his chances for infection.

When she had stitched his neck together, the bleeding began to stop, and she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. "Barsad," she addressed Bane's second in command once again. "I need some antibiotic ointment and bandages." Barsad complied swiftly, handing Natalie what she had asked for. She reapplied alcohol, for the third time, to the now closed wound, and rubbed the ointment on top of it. Finally, she wrapped the bandages around Bane's neck, and fell back onto the concrete in relief.

She had a splitting headache from the stress, and she was exhausted. Her adrenaline was wearing off, and the time she had spent at Arkham was beginning to catch up to her. "I've done everything that I can," Natalie said tiredly, her voice echoing the exhaustion that she felt. "He'll either make it, or he won't."

Barsad walked over to her, and helped her off of the floor. "We should probably get your wound taken care of, and put some clothes on you," he commented, mildly amused. Natalie frowned. She had forgotten that she wasn't wearing a shirt anymore. Her bra was the only thing that was shielding her exposed upper body from the eyes of Bane's men. She also noticed that her wound had reopened, and blood had soaked through her bandages, and was running down her side. Natalie groaned in frustration. It was just her luck to end up half naked and bleeding in front of the League of Shadows.

Barsad rectified the problem immediately. He gave orders for Nikolai to bring her some clothes, and for Marc and Red to load Bane into the Jeep. He then began to try and stitch her wound up the same way that he had seen her stitching Bane's. It wasn't pretty. The stitches were jagged and uneven, but at least her wound was no longer exposed. Barsad bandaged Natalie up, and handed her a t-shirt, which she quickly donned.

"Did you bring my dog?" she asked him, ready to be reunited with the shepherd. "Of course," Barsad said, grinning. "He's outside. I have someone else that's been dying to see you too…"

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Robbie was outside patrolling the perimeter with Dmitri and Alex, when he saw Barsad and the other exit the prison. He grinned as he noticed Natalie's small figure among them. She was a sight to behold, covered in blood and dirt. It looked as though she hadn't bathed in weeks. Her hair was tangled, and matted with blood, but she was alive.

"Natalie! You're alive!" he shouted, running towards her, Blackjack hot on his heels. Her face lit up upon seeing him, and when he approached, she embraced him fervently. "What are you doing here?" she asked, ecstatic to see him, but confused as to why he was there. Robbie's grip on her tightened at her question. "I was worried about you," he replied honestly. "I came here to check on you, and ended up meeting Barsad."

Barsad stepped in, sounding rather gruff. "Yeah," he remarked sourly. "When you asked me to feed your dog, I was expecting a cute, fluffy, little dog, not Cujo here. Robbie saved me from becoming dinner." Blackjack snorted, and Natalie laughed, reaching down to rub the black shepherd behind the ears. His muzzle was covered in blood, and she took note of it, deciding to ask Robbie what had happened at a later time. She had missed both her brother and her dog terribly, and it was great to see them again.

Barsad pointed out that they needed to move before more cops showed up looking for their friends. He and Robbie helped Natalie into her Jeep. She was exhausted, in pain, and unable to climb up by herself. She sat next to Bane in the back, with Blackjack at her feet. Bane's bleeding had stopped, but he wasn't out of the woods yet.

Natalie took out her knife to mark her kills from the prison. She made two quick cuts on her forearm for the guards that she had killed, and a small J with an X over it to signify the Joker. "What are all of those marks for?" Robbie asked her; genuinely curious as to why his sister was cutting herself. Natalie smiled wearily at her little brother. "It's my kill count," she responded proudly. She saw Robbie noticeably stiffen as he took in all of the marks on her arm, and she decided to change the subject. She asked him about home, and he told her about everything that had been going on while she was away.

Natalie talked to Robbie, and took Bane's hand in her own, giving him a reassuring squeeze. She felt him squeeze back faintly, and it was enough to lift her spirits about his chances for survival. Bane was the strongest person that she knew, and if anyone could survive, it was him.

After some time, her eyelids began to grow heavy from pure exhaustion, and she was unable to stay awake any longer. She slowly drifted off into a deep sleep, as they continued on to the warehouse.

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_Natalie climbed into the elevator shaft at Arkham, descending quickly. She felt her rope giving way under her weight, and she was desperate to make it to the bottom before the rope broke completely. She heard a crack above her, and suddenly she was falling. Natalie desperately tried to grab onto something, anything, but she only fell faster, the darkness swallowing her up entirely. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. _

_ After what seemed like an eternity, she landed on the bottom of the elevator shaft, remarkably unhurt. She scrambled to her feet, and exited the elevator shaft onto the first floor. Dead bodies were everywhere, fried from the inside out. Blood pooled on the concrete floor, and the stench of burned flesh filled her nostrils. Natalie gagged, desperately trying not to throw up. A voice in her head was speaking to her, saying, "YOU did this. YOU WANTED this." She backed away quickly, trying to get away, and then she saw him._

_ The Joker was standing in the middle of the pile of bodies, his knife at Bane's throat. "Ya' killed 'em sweetheart," he drawled, licking his lips in delight. His painted face contorted into a sick smirk. "All of these men are dead because of you. They fried like an egg on the sidewalk, sweetheart, ya' saw to that nicely."_

_ Joker ran his tongue over his bottom lip, his dark eyes gleaming. Natalie shuddered, but found her voice. "Let Bane go," she demanded the clown. "You can do what you want with me, but let him go." The Joker laughed, an eerie sound that echoed throughout the prison. _

_ "Ya' know sweetheart," he said, amused. "Muscles here said the same thing about you. You two are just too cute. Ya' remind me of Romeo and Juliet." He grinned widely, clearly amused with himself, before continuing. "Ya' know what happens to Romeo and Juliet sweetheart?" _

_ Natalie reached for her AR-15, only to find that it wasn't there. The Joker laughed at her feeble attempt to stop him. "They both die sweetheart," he finished, running his blade across Bane's throat. He walked away laughing as Bane fell to the floor. _

_ Natalie rushed to his side, pulling his head into her lap. Blood covered his neck and chest, and his green eyes began to glaze over as he died in her arms. She could feel hot tears streaming down her face, and a sob escaped her as he died. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you," she whispered to Bane, crying even harder. _

_ She spotted the Joker's knife a few feet away, and she grabbed it, looking at the blade, and remembering his words "they both die." She would rather die than live with the pain of losing Bane. She thrust the knife into her chest, waiting for the darkness to take her._

Natalie awoke with a start. She was shaking violently, and tears stained her cheeks and her pillow. Where was she? How long had she been asleep? Hours, days, weeks? She had no idea. She raised her arm, and saw the J with the X over it marked clearly on her skin. She frantically looked for Bane, and saw him sleeping on a cot about five feet away from her.

His neck and chest were covered in bandages, and his breathing was heavy and labored, but he was alive, and that was all that mattered to Natalie. The Joker was dead, and Bane was alive. She had just had a nightmare, nothing more. Blackjack trotted over to her from the corner of the room, and began to lick her arm. "Alright already," she said hoarsely. "I'm getting up."

Natalie stood up from the small bed that she had been sleeping in with some difficulty. The events at Arkham had taken a toll on her body. She felt as if she had been hit by a semi. She did however notice that someone had been changing the bandage around her waist, and that she was no longer covered in blood and dirt. She decided not to dwell too much on who had cleaned her up, as the thought would only be disturbing to her, and hobbled over to check on Bane.

She checked his pulse and his breathing. Satisfied that he was not going to expire if she took a look around, Natalie decided to see what was going on. She made her way out of the room, and down a staircase to the main area below with Blackjack in tow. She was weak, and the staircase was quite a challenge for her. At the bottom, she found herself in an old, dilapidated warehouse. The room she had been sleeping in must have been the office of whoever owned this warehouse. There were assault rifles, beer cans, and beef jerky wrappers as far as the eye could see, and further off she observed Robbie, Barsad, and the rest of Bane's men playing poker, drinking, and smoking together at a small card table.

The men noticed her, and motioned for her to join them, which she did. Robbie was grinning from ear to ear when he saw her awake and walking around. "How long have I been out?" Natalie asked, fearing the answer. Barsad looked her over, taking note that she seemed to be in pain still. "A day," he replied slowly. "You look much better today though." That earned a small smile from Natalie.

"Bane's going to be okay, right?" she asked, worry clouding over her brief smile. She knew that he was alive, and probably would have died by now if he was going to, but she needed to hear it from someone else.

Barsad grinned, slightly amused by how much Natalie cared for Bane. He supposed that he would never quite understand why she did, but he was glad that someone else besides himself was looking out for the big guy. "Bane will be fine," he said grinning. " He hasn't woken up yet, but he's going to make it. It would appear that your questionable medical skills have saved him."

Natalie laughed at his attempt at humor, but quickly became lightheaded. She grabbed Barsad's chair, using it to support herself before she could fall. Robbie jumped up immediately, placing his shoulder under her arm to support her weight. She leaned on her brother gratefully, wishing that she wasn't in so much pain.

Barsad addressed her once again, in a voice that was all business. "Natalie," he said, focused directly on her. She noticed that the other men had stopped playing cards, and were also looking to her. Barsad introduced each man at the table quickly and efficiently. "These men are members of the League of Shadows," he continued. "Bane wanted you to lead them if he could not escape. He saw something in you that he liked, and he trusted you, because of that, we trust you also. Bane is currently unable to lead, so the task falls to you. These men await your instructions. Tell us where we need to go from here."

The room fell silent, and all eyes were on Natalie. She shifted uncomfortably on Robbie, and gave thought to what she wanted to say. She was in charge until Bane could resume his duties, and her words would affect everyone. "How many people know about Arkham?" she asked finally, fearing the answer that she would most likely receive.

"Everyone," Barsad replied, confirming her fears. "Cops are everywhere, looking for any escaped criminals." Natalie was silent for a moment, and when she spoke, it was with authority. "We will wait here until Bane can travel safely, and then we need to leave the city. If cops are out and they find us, Bane and I will both be as good as dead. We need to be gone if they come searching this area."

The men took in her words, nodding in approval. "So it shall be done," Barsad said, ending the matter. Robbie helped Natalie back up the stairs, as she didn't have the strength to make it on her own. At the door to the room she had been sleeping in, he finally spoke.

"I know that you're tired, and you don't want to talk about what happened right now, but I want you to tell me later okay?" he said cautiously. Natalie laughed, and ruffled his shaggy black hair. "Of course," she said, grinning. "You have a few things to tell me as well." Robbie looked downcast. "I killed a man," he said quietly. "I shot him." She just shook her head at him. "It doesn't bother you at all?" he asked, clearly annoyed that she didn't seem upset. Natalie shook her head once again, and proceeded to go into the room with Blackjack.

"Hey!" Robbie exclaimed. "Can I take Blackjack with me? Those guys kind of give me the creeps." Natalie laughed again. Robbie was not quite as adventurous as she was, and anything different was akward for him. She commanded Blackjack to stay, earning a whine from the dog, and went inside the room.

She waited until Robbie had gone back down the stairs, and then sat down on her bed, watching Bane sleep. He looked almost peaceful, and her eyes followed the steady rise and fall of his powerful chest. Natalie was afraid to sleep. She was afraid that if she went to sleep, she would return to her nightmares, and that she would lose Bane again. She managed to stay awake for some time, but pure exhaustion, heavy eyelids, and her aching body got the better of her, and she ended up falling into a deep sleep.

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Bane was awoken by soft cries, and the sound of sobbing. He was disoriented, and hurt all over his entire body. Memories of the Joker and Arkham resurfaced, and he could clearly remember Natalie shooting Joker, and trying to save him as he bled out.

Where was she? He tried to move, but that proved to be a difficult task. After some time, he managed to turn over on his side. He saw Natalie lying on the bed next to him. She was facing away from him, but he was certain that the cries had come from her.

He heard her softly call out his name, followed by sobbing. He could not stand to see her this way. He had to get to her and show her that he was okay, that they were both alive, and everything was going to be okay.

Bane's body painfully protested any movement, but he somehow managed to slide off of his cot, and stand up. He was dizzy and in pain. He almost fell several times as he took the few, shaky steps that he needed to make it to the bed.

Having used all of his strength, he promptly sat down on the bed next to Natalie. He gently placed a hand on her shoulders. "It's okay," he said softly, his mechanical voice raspy from unuse. "You're just having a bad dream." Natalie started from the bed at the sound of his voice, tears streaking her face. When she saw Bane awake, her eyes lit up. She threw her arms around him, careful to avoid his neck, and buried her head in his broad chest.

Bane returned the embrace, not quite sure what he needed to do or say, but enjoying the feel of her body pressed against his. "Does it get better?" she asked him, her voice muffled against his chest. "What?" he replied, clearly confused.

Natalie pulled back to look at him, her eyes haunted. "The nightmares," she said, shuddering. "The nightmares of all the people you've killed, and the things that you've seen." Bane looked into her haunted eyes, suddenly understanding. He was silent for a moment before he replied. "Eventually," he said truthfully. "It gets easier with time."

He wished that he could take from her the memories of everything that she had seen and done during their escape from Arkham. It was easy for him, but he had had a lifetime to get used to it. The only thing that he knew to do for her, was try to comfort her as best he could.

"Will you stay here with me tonight?" she asked, her gray-blue eyes pleading with him. "I'll sleep better if I can touch you, and know that you're alive." Bane could not refuse her. He laid down on the tiny bed as best he could, and pulled Natalie into his arms, holding her tightly against him. He waited until he felt her breathing steady against his chest, and then he drifted off into sleep with her.

**Tell me what you think! I love hearing from you guys! Thanks for being patient while I was on vacation.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi you guys! Thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter! I honestly didn't think that I did as good of a job on it as I have on some of the others, so I was not very happy with the way that it turned out, but thank you for the support! This chapter is long, but I started writing, and I couldn't stop, so yeah… Anyways I think this chapter is pretty good, and I hope that you guys like it too! I do need to give a warning however that this chapter is rated M for sexual content. For those of you who don't want to read it, I will denote the M rated material with ***** so you can just skip that part if it bothers you without missing any of the plot. For those of you that read this chapter the entire way through, just know that I was freaked out about posting this, since I've never done this before, so please let me know what you think, or give me some support, or whatever. If you think you know me personally, which I hope is none of you, please avert eye contact in public and pretend that you never saw this, as I will be super embarrassed…. Thank you!**

**To Manna: Thank you so much for the review! I'm so happy that you love this story, and I will do my best to continue meeting your expectations!**

Chapter 19

Bane awoke to the warmth of sunlight streaming through the window. He felt a weight on his chest, and opened his eyes to see Natalie practically sleeping on top of him, his arms wrapped protectively around her small frame.

The sunlight played across her dark hair, making it appear a lighter shade of brown than it normally was. She looked so peaceful. Bane closed his eyes, feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest against his, and enjoying the moment.

He had never held a woman like this before. He was not one to pay for the companionship of a woman, and no woman had ever desired his company, save Natalie. The feel of her body pressed against his brought forth a feeling of contentment, and an aching need that he was not used to.

Bane opened his eyes once again, running his hands through her soft, brown hair, and then tracing her jaw line lightly with his index finger, careful not to wake her. He could feel the aching need for her growing within him, and briefly wondered if she felt the same need for him.

He did not deserve her; he knew that. Natalie was much too good for him. He was Bane, and because of who he was, he could never be the man that she deserved. He was much too selfish to push her away, but he knew that he was no good for her. He could never be the man that she deserved, or give her the kind of life that she deserved.

Bane was deep in his thoughts when the door swung open. Barsad walked in purposefully, but stopped short at the sight of Bane and Natalie together. "Yes?" Bane growled, irritated that he had been torn from his thoughts, and his moment with Natalie. "Sir…" Barsad began tentatively. "The cops are searching door to door, and they're getting close to our area. We need to move, now."

Bane glared at him from his position on the bed. "Is everything packed and ready to go?" he asked dangerously. Barsad shook his head slowly. "Then why are you here?" Bane growled, losing his patience.

"Sorry sir… I just wanted to make sure that you were feeling well enough to travel," Barsad murmured. "I'm fine," Bane responded sharply. "Get the men ready, and I will be down in a moment." Barsad nodded quickly, and left the room.

Bane growled in frustration, and slowly began to remove Natalie from his chest. She woke up as he was moving her, and smiled at him, melting away all of his frustration instantly. "Grab your things," he said to her softly. "We're leaving."

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**CIA Headquarters/ Langley, Virginia**

Jeff Bridger was exhausted. He had received a call early this morning from a man named John Blake about a break out in Arkham Asylum. He had been half asleep at the time, but from what he gathered, there were bodies everywhere including half of their tactical specialists from Gotham PD. The Commissioner was dead, and had been chewed up by some kind of animal, and they weren't sure how many prisoners were alive, and how many were dead. It was a total mess.

He had been awake ever since, trying to get the situation under control. Jeff had burned through three pots of coffee, and they still weren't any closer to figuring out what happened, that is, until Ned walked in.

Ned Stewart was Jeff's second in command. He was young, and had an uncanny talent for his job that made the other agents in the office jealous. When Jeff retired, he intended on handing his job over to Ned, despite his lack of seniority.

When Ned walked into his office, Jeff instantly hoped for some kind of lead. "I have something you might want to see sir," the young man said proudly, grinning from ear to ear. "What did you find Ned?" Jeff asked excitedly.

"You're not gonna believe this," Ned said, pausing for effect. "Some guy named Mike Davis posted a live video from Arkham on the internet. You have to pay to watch it, and it's almost two days worth of footage, but it might give us a lead." Ned looked at Jeff expectantly, waiting for his response.

A smile broke over Jeff's tired face as he looked at his young partner. "Call your wife, and tell her you're not coming home tonight," he commanded. "We have a video to watch."

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The move was done quickly and efficiently, with minimal issues. Blackjack attempted to tear Bane apart for getting too close to Natalie, giving him a bite wound on his arm as a souvenir of their first meeting, but other than that incident, the move was virtually painless.

They ended up in an abandoned house about thirty miles from Gotham. Bane had made it clear that he still intended on "liberating" the people of Gotham, but it was no longer safe for them to live within the city limits. The house that they were staying in was large, and there was almost enough bedrooms for everyone to have their own.

The men had intended on giving Bane and Natalie each their own rooms, since they were in charge, but Bane ordered them to place Natalie's things with his own. She had made it clear to him that she did not want to sleep alone, and the feel of her body pressed against his was something that he could get used to, so it was easy to give in to her request.

The next week passed by quickly. Bane and Natalie were still not fully recovered, but they felt much better than they had previously. They were able to take their bandages off, both of them left with an assortment of new scars from their escape.

They had developed a sort of routine at their new hideout. During the evenings, they all drank, smoked, and played poker together. Afterwards, Natalie spent time making more Venom, and injectible pain medication for Bane, while he spent time going over various maps of Gotham. When it came time to sleep, Bane would pull Natalie into his arms, and she would sleep on his chest, just as they had done their first night together. His presence comforted her, and kept her nightmares at bay.

During the day, they spent most of their time planning for Gotham's liberation. Natalie had agreed to participate, and they began working on a master plan to take out Gotham's corrupt government. Sometimes, Bane, Natalie, and Barsad all planned together, bouncing ideas off of each other. Other times, Bane only requested Natalie's presence, or Barsad's presence, and occasionally, he wanted to be by himself. It was one of those rare occasions that Natalie spent the day with Robbie.

Robbie had taken the role of chef for the League, and he had made himself useful by preparing all of their meals. He had become fast friends with Barsad, and the two of them had chosen to room together in the house. He had even started to fit in with the rest of the men as well. Although he still avoided Bane, Natalie was proud of him for trying.

They were spending the afternoon together while Bane was planning alone one day. Robbie had introduced her to a game that he had on his phone called Plague Inc., and Natalie had instantly liked it. They were in the process of trying to take over the world with a virus that they had dubbed "The Rapies" when he asked her about what happened at the prison.

She knew that she had waited long enough, and that she owed him some answers. Natalie told him about everything that had happened, from the day that she met Bane, until the day that she had woken up in the warehouse. Robbie listened intently, and she could see the serious frown that was beginning to form on his face as she neared the end of her story.

"You're lucky to be alive," he commented sourly. "Why did you do it?" he asked, his tone serious. "Why Bane? He's a murderer, and he's no good for you." Natalie paused for a moment, trying to phrase her answer in a way that Robbie could understand. "He's not the monster that everyone thinks he is," she said slowly. "Bane saved my life. He protects me, and he would never hurt me. He's good to me, and he accepts me for who I am. That's why I set him free. I owed him my life, and I care about him. I couldn't just let him die."

Robbie looked like he was going to be sick. "So you set this homicidal maniac free, incriminating yourself in the process, and now you're just going to shack up with him and murder people together, like some happy, cute, little couple. You can't pretend that what you're doing is right!" He was practically yelling at her now, and Natalie worried others might hear. She tried to quiet him before she continued, angry at his self-righteous outburst. He couldn't even begin to comprehend the things that she had been through, or the sacrifices that Bane had made to save her.

"You have no idea what I've been through, and we're not shacking up!" she exclaimed angrily. "I just don't want to sleep alone, and I feel more comfortable with him there!" By now, she was fuming with anger, and her eyes narrowed dangerously, but Robbie wasn't about to back down.

"You claim that you're not having sex with him, but that's sure as hell what it looks like!" he retorted. "You were always dad's favorite, you know? He told me once that he loved you the most because you had his spirit, and that Amy and I took after mom. If he could see you now, he would roll over in his grave."

Natalie shoved him roughly, her face red with anger. "Don't you DARE bring dad into this!" she spat. Robbie did not shove her back; instead he just lowered his head, hurt by her actions.

"He's brainwashing you Natalie," he said angrily, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Don't you see? He's turning you into a monster, just like he is. You've killed so many people, and you only want to kill more! There's no regret or remorse in you." He raised his head to look into her gray-blue eyes, angry for once that they were a mirror image of his own.

"I've killed for you once," he said evenly. "Don't ask me to do it again. I'll stay a little bit longer, hoping that you'll change your mind, but then I'm leaving. I hope that you will come home with me, but I won't stay here and watch you become a monster. The choice is yours, make sure that you choose wisely." With that, Robbie walked away, leaving Natalie hurt and angry. He was going to make her choose between him and Bane.

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Jeff Bridger had not left his office in three days. There was way too much work to be done, and not enough people to do it. He and Ned had watched the video of Arkham, and what he had seen disturbed him greatly. From what he could tell, only two people had made it out of that prison alive; the mercenary, Bane, and a young woman that he did not know.

The thought of Bane running loose was more than Jeff could handle, although he had appeared to be hurt pretty badly at the end of the video. Maybe he died, Jeff thought absentmindedly, although he knew that he probably couldn't get that lucky. He would have to treat this case as if Bane were alive and well for the safety of the public.

Jeff had sent Ned out to gather as much information as he could on both Bane, and the young woman. They needed to know everything about them. Jeff wanted to know what they looked like, their habits, and their favorite places. If they took a shit, he wanted to know about it.

Ned walked into Jeff's office five minutes later with the info that he had asked for. He laid out photos and files for both Bane and the woman, and together, they began to pour over the information. Bane's file was no surprise to Jeff. He had already known a lot about him, but the woman surprised him.

Her name was Natalie Ford. She was very young, only twenty-four, but she looked like she wasn't a day over twenty. Her dark brown hair hung in her face, and her gray-blue eyes gleamed with amusement. Her nose was crooked, but her smile was heart-wrenchingly beautiful. She reminded Jeff of his youngest daughter, so full of life, and always laughing about everything. It was a shame that she had cast her lot in with Bane.

He noticed that she was a high school chemistry teacher, and a rancher, with no previous military training or arrests. This surprised him, considering how well she had fought. The only red flag in her file was her concealed handgun license, but even that wasn't a big deal. Jeff turned to Ned, giving him orders about where to go from here.

"I want Bane alive," he said flatly. "He belongs to the CIA now, and I would like to wipe his memory and place him in our weapons program." Ned nodded in acknowledgement, knowing that Bane could be a vital asset to them. "What about the girl?" he asked.

Jeff looked at her picture once more, pushing all thoughts of his own daughter out of his mind. He turned to Ned with a look of finality written on his tired face. "Kill her," he said evenly.

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Natalie worked diligently, making Bane injectible pain medication in record speed. She intended on trying some on him tonight to see how long he could go without his mask. Her mind was running in overdrive, processing everything that Robbie had said to her today. It wasn't fair. He was her brother, and he shouldn't make her choose like that.

Bane sat on the bed, watching her in silence. Barsad had informed him that Natalie and Robbie had had an argument earlier that day, and he had the distinct feeling that the argument had been concerning him. Robbie had gone out of his way to avoid Bane since day one, and it only made sense that he would not approve of his sister's close relationship with him.

Bane slid off of the bed, and walked up behind Natalie, placing his large hands on her shoulders to get her attention. He had not asked her about what Mike had told him in Arkham yet, but it seemed that now was the appropriate time. Natalie stood up and turned around to face him, unsure of what he wanted. Bane didn't speak at first. He walked slowly, gently pushing her backwards, until her back met the wall of the room.

He placed his hands on either side of her, trapping her against the wall. Satisfied that he had her exactly where he wanted her, and the she could not get away from him, Bane began to speak.

"Little one," he said softly, his mechanical voice almost a purr. Natalie felt a shiver run up her spine as he leaned down, and placed his mask firmly against her nose, so that he could look into her eyes. "I have a question for you," he continued. "And I want you to tell me the truth."

Natalie nodded her head in assent as best as she could, her head becoming dizzy from the closeness of his proximity to her. Even after everything that they had been through, he could still make her weak with his presence alone. "Why did you risk your life to free me?" he asked curiously. "Mike told me everything that you did, and I want to know why."

She felt a blush rising up in her cheeks. She had seen this inevitable moment coming, and she had been dreading it with every fiber of her being. To tell Bane the truth, that she had freed him because she loved him and couldn't bear to watch him die, was out of the question. He would think her foolish and weak, so Natalie decided to give him the partial truth.

"I freed you because you saved me from those men, and I owed you my life," she said flatly, as if it was the simplest explanation in the world. Bane narrowed his eyes, picking up on her half-truth easily. "You did not owe me your life for that little one," he said coolly. "You could have walked away, and I would have understood."

His green eyes bored into her gray-blue ones intensely. He refused to move until she told him the rest of the truth. He would stay there all night if he had to. Natalie met his stare with her own, refusing to be intimidated by him.

"Why did you save me?" she asked, returning his question with one of her own. "And why did you find me, take care of my wounds, and stay with me in the prison? Surely, I was only a burden to you, so why did you do it? You let the Joker slit your throat, rather than see me die. Why?" Natalie crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at him, demanding answers.

Bane chuckled, and a glint of amusement filled his green eyes as he met Natalie's gaze. "You are by far, the most stubborn and frustrating individual that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting," he said, still chuckling to himself. "I saved you, because I made a promise to myself to be your protector, and look out for you."

He paused for a moment, trying to collect his nerves. This conversation was setting him on edge more than he cared to admit. He was not the kind of man that liked to discuss his feelings. "Natalie," Bane began carefully. "I am not a good man, and you deserve so much more than a life with me and the League. If you choose to leave and go home with your brother, I understand. I will not hold you here against your will."

Natalie was deep in thought. Was Bane telling her to go? A part of her wanted to go home, but she could not bear to leave him. They had been through so much together, and they had a bond that she couldn't explain. Bane saw her indecision and continued. "If you choose to stay here with me," he said gently. "I promise that I will take care of you. I will protect you, provide for you, love you, and keep you happy to the best of my ability."

Natalie's jaw literally dropped at his words. Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment she couldn't breathe. She could not believe what she was hearing. When she found her breath again, she desperately tried to make sense of his words. "Did you just say…" she began skeptically. "Did you just say that you love me?"

Bane chuckled nervously, unsure of what to say. He was out of his element, and this was bothersome to him. "In more words than necessary, yes," he admitted. "Is that all you got out of that, little one?" he asked, amused. Natalie tried to stay calm, processing what he had just told her. In a matter of seconds, he had managed to turn her whole world upside down. Things had just become infinitely more complicated than what she had initially thought. She took several deep breaths in an attempt to stop the shaking that was beginning to overtake her body.

Bane sensed her distress and became worried. Perhaps she was not happy here with him. "Whatever you desire little one, you have only to ask, and I will give it to you," he said, concerned by her state. Already, he felt as though he was not living up to the promise that he had made to her.

Natalie took a few more deep breaths, calming herself, and weighing her options. She could stay with Bane, or she could go home. She knew what she wanted, but was it right? She finally managed to calm herself completely, and knew exactly what she had to do. There WAS something that Bane could do for her, something that she wanted very badly. She leaned into him, placing her mouth against his ear, and whispered three words to him. "I want you."

*******With those words, Bane felt any self-control that he had possessed slipping away from him. "Stay here," he commanded her. He walked across the room, to where Natalie kept his pain medication. He quickly injected himself, and removed his mask, placing it on the table next to the bed.

This was the second time that Natalie had seen his face. She tried to memorize every aspect of it, from his mangled nose, and scarred mouth, all the way down to his neck, where his newest scar was just beginning to heal. He gently pushed her against the wall once again, and his lips met hers hungrily.

Bane wanted her, no, he needed her. Her words had set him over the edge, and he would not stop until he had her. Natalie kissed him back fiercely, her hands roaming over the scars on his face and neck. Her touch was electric to him, and only pushed him further over the edge with need. Her hands continued to roam down his body, until they came to the bottom of his tight, black muscle shirt.

She pulled up on his shirt, wanting to feel the smooth skin of his chest. Bane helped her remove his shirt, and she ran her hands over his bare chest, causing him to shiver at her touch. He moved his own hands to remove her black tank top, ripping it somewhat in the process of pulling it over her head. He didn't have patience for clothes. Natalie laughed, and he pulled her to him, kissing her neck hungrily.

A moan of escaped Natalie as his lips reached the base of her neck, and she arched back, causing Bane to growl with pleasure. He unclasped her bra easily, and threw it across the room, allowing his hands to roam over her exposed upper body, memorizing every inch of her by touch. He cupped her breasts roughly, enjoying the feel of her. Natalie began to kiss Bane's neck, and his eyes widened in surprise as she lightly nipped at the sensitive skin of his throat.

She gently kissed the scars that the Joker's knife had made, sighing at the feel of the rough, healing skin on her lips. She trailed down his neck and chest, touching and kissing every inch of his body on the way down. Bane closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of her lips on his bare chest. Natalie ran her hands down his body, stopping beneath his belt. His obvious desire for her was only increasing the need that she felt for him.

Bane's eyes flew open, as she began to undo his belt. He helped her remove his cargo pants, leaving him in nothing but a loose fitting pair of boxers. He placed his hands on the belt of her camo pants, ready to return the favor, and looked to Natalie for approval. He halfway expected her to stop him, and a part of him wanted her to. He did not like losing control like this, but he received only a nod of approval from her.

Natalie knew exactly what was going to happen tonight if she allowed him to continue. Maybe she would regret her actions tomorrow, and maybe she wouldn't, but right now she needed this, needed HIM. Bane quickly unbuckled her belt, and slipped off her pants, while holding her in his arms to keep her from losing her balance. He immediately discarded Natalie's lacy, black panties, leaving her totally exposed to him.

Bane lifted her up in his arms with ease, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, as he carried her to the bed that they shared. He gently laid her on the bed, and stepped back to look at her for a moment. Out of habit, Natalie covered her exposed breasts with her arms, eliciting a grunt of displeasure from Bane.

He moved forward quickly, grabbing each of her wrists, and pulling them away from her chest. He leaned down, and kissed her gently on the neck. "Do not hide yourself from me," he growled. "You are beautiful."

Natalie shivered in delight as his lips made their way down her chest and stomach. He did not stop until he was kissing the inside of her thighs. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. One of her hands trailed down his chest, and stopped at his boxers. She knew that once she removed them, there would be no going back.

In one swift motion, she pulled them off, leaving Bane exposed to her. He was well endowed, and his desire for her was painfully obvious by how hard he was. Natalie grinned at the sight, and Bane pushed her roughly onto her back on the bed. He was nervous, but he let his body take over, and he moved her legs apart, easily pulling himself on top of her, in between. He was careful to support himself with his arms, so that he was not directly lying on top of Natalie.

His lips cascaded roughly onto her own, making her want him more. She could feel the wetness between her legs growing by the second. Natalie let out a soft moan of pleasure as Bane entered her. He filled her completely, and the friction that he created as he thrust into her, was like wave after wave of pleasure.

Bane thrust gently, so as not to hurt Natalie. He knew how strong he was, and he was terrified of causing her pain. She intertwined her hands around his neck, pulling him to her, and she arched her back, allowing her body to melt with his. At her urging, he began to thrust faster and harder.

Wave after wave of pleasure rushed over Natalie, and Bane growled in absolute pleasure as she tightly gripped the sheets, and began to scream his name. They both climaxed at the same time, Natalie arching her back, and Bane thrusting as hard as he could, momentarily lost in the feeling of his release.

When they were finished, Bane rolled to the side, not wanting to hurt her by resting his entire weight on her, and pulled Natalie into his arms. The pain was starting to return, so he pressed his scarred lips to hers one last time, and put his mask back on. The two of them laid in silence for quite some time, breathing heavily and enjoying the other's company. Bane could feel his eyelids getting heavy as sleep began to overtake him.

Natalie kissed his cheek, just above his mask. "I lied to you earlier," she admitted. "I freed you because I love you, and I couldn't bear to watch you die." Bane's eyes crinkled up into a smile, and he chuckled to himself. "The things I do to get you to tell the truth," he said jokingly.

He pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head. Their relationship could not be the same anymore, Natalie knew that. Her choice had just become much more difficult. She had no idea what would happen with the two of them, but she knew that tonight changed everything.

**So there it is! I was super nervous about posting this, but let me know how I did, please! Also, I need your assistance with the chapter 20 and 21. I am a total tomboy, so I don't dress up AT ALL lol. I need to design a dress for Natalie, as she will be going to a fancy party soon. Give me some ideas for a dress design! You can either review, or PM me, I really don't care. Whoever has the best design will be featured in the story, and I will give you credit of course, so help me out here! Lol. My only requirement is that it has to be a long dress, but other than that anything is fair game. Also, please review and tell me what you think!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Just want to say thank you again for your support of this story! I was unsure about posting the last chapter, but I feel better about it now, so thank you! This chapter is a little bit shorter, but it's kind of a filler before the events of the next chapter. That's really all I need to say, so read, review, and enjoy!**

**To Lexi: I'm so glad that you enjoyed the chapter! My brother introduced me to Plague Inc. a few months ago, and I've been hooked ever since! We have competitions to see who can kill off everyone in the world the fastest, so I guess I am a little sadistic and evil ; ) Thanks for the review!**

Chapter 20

Natalie awoke to the feel of Bane's mask on her neck. He lay next to her, his arms wrapped protectively around her small frame. His eyes were closed, but he slowly opened them to look at her upon feeling her stir in his arms. Natalie became aware that both she and Bane were naked, and the realization that they had slept together the previous night suddenly came rushing back to her.

Strangely, she didn't feel any amount of horror or disgust over her actions. She only felt a sense of calm and satisfaction. She did not regret what they had done, and given the choice, she would do it over again. As wrong as it was, she loved him, and everything about the previous night had felt so right to her.

They laid in silence for some time, each taking in the aftermath of their heated moment of passion the night before. Bane broke the moment reluctantly, letting go of Natalie, and rolling off of the side of the bed. He slipped into his boxers quickly, and began to dress himself.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Natalie asked cautiously, unsure of what was running through his mind right now. "I'm going out with Barsad today," he replied, strapping his bulletproof vest on over his shirt. "We need to get a few supplies, and things for tomorrow. I will return later this evening."

Finally, he turned to look at her. Natalie's face dropped as thoughts of Bane regretting their actions ran through her mind. Why else would he be going with Barsad instead of her? Bane sensed her unease, and quickly put her fears to rest. "Do not worry little one," he said gently, the corners of his eyes crinkling up into a smile. "I am not excluding you. I simply am not willing to ruin your surprise."

Natalie's brow furrowed in confusion at his mention of a surprise. What could it possibly be? She certainly hoped that he wouldn't be bringing her back anyone's body. An amused chuckle escaped her at this thought, and Bane seemed pleased that she would be okay with his absence. Twenty minutes later, he left with Barsad to take care of their business.

For lack of anything better to do, Natalie spent the day with Robbie and the rest of the guys. They had a poker tournament going on, and she wasn't about to miss out on winning some money. By the time evening had rolled around, she was nearly drunk, and up by five hundred dollars. She had a cigar in one hand, and a Coke and Crown in the other, which had never seemed to go empty since she had sit down.

The men of the League treated her with just as much authority as Bane, and they saw to her every need before she could even ask. She had learned a lot about the men by playing with them. Marc was a former CIA agent, who had been kicked out after an incident with his boss' wife. Dmitri and Nikolai were former KGB operatives, who had chosen to leave the service of Russia, after they had been tasked to start a nuclear war. Natalie could not understand a word that Red said to her, but Nikolai informed her that he was a former hit man for the mob. Alex was a drifter, a mercenary for hire, with no particular loyalties until he joined the League.

Overall, she liked the guys, and enjoyed their company. They were much more open with her when Bane was not around. She suspected it was because they were not fearing for their lives every second of the day. From what she had gathered, Bane was a fantastic leader, but he was ruthless, and no one was safe from his wrath.

Towards the end of the evening, the guys began to complain about Natalie cheating, to which she merely laughed. "Don't be such sore losers boys," she replied, grinning wildly. She took a drag on her cigar, followed by a long drink of her Coke and Crown, all the while shaking her head at the crazy allegations of her cheating. Was it so wrong to hide an ace in her pocket? It wasn't her fault that no one else thought to do it first.

"I'm all in," Dmitri announced in his thickly accented English. His brother, Nikolai, quickly followed suit, shoving his money towards the middle of the table. Of course, the other men at the table rose to the challenge, going all in as well. Natalie quickly shoved her pile of money into the center of the table with everyone else's. "I'm all in," she said coolly. They all looked at the huge pile of money that was now in the center of the table, each excited about the prospect of winning.

Alex dealt the cards, and shortly after, Robbie, Nikolai, and Marc folded. Dmitri played three of a kind, Red had a full house, and Natalie triumphantly laid down her royal flush. "Mierda!" Red exclaimed, throwing his cards down. Dmitri just shrugged in defeat, and Natalie claimed the winnings. "Sorry boys," she said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Impressive," a voice from directly behind her purred. Natalie jumped slightly, startle by Bane's sudden presence. She turned to him, grinning wildly, her eyes lighting up at the sound of his voice. He smiled at her, but only for a moment. His men were present, and his smiles and kindness were reserved for Natalie alone.

"Come with me," he commanded her. "We must discuss our plan of action for tomorrow." Bane began to walk away, and she quickly shoved her winnings into her pockets, and followed him. Once they were alone, his demeanor changed, and he walked easily by her side. "I got you a few things while I was out," he commented, his eyes crinkling up into a smile once again. Natalie treasured her moments alone with Bane. Those were the rare moments when he let down his guard, and enjoyed the little things. She felt as though he was a totally different person with her than he was with anyone else.

The stopped walking when they reached the front of the garage outside of their hideout. Next to her Jeep, were parked four of the most beautiful cars that Natalie had ever seen. "Barsad and I procured you appropriate attire, and a stylist for tomorrow evening." Bane began. "But I want you to have choice of your ride for the party." Natalie was dumbfounded by the beauty and perfect condition of these cars. They must have stolen them from a collector.

The first car that she noticed was a silver 2013 Porsche Cayman with black leather interior. Next to it was a bright red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder convertible, with a tan cloth top. The third car that she saw was a shiny, black 1967 Shelby GT 500 Mustang with a fastback, and the final car was a canary yellow 2013 Chevrolet Corvette with a black convertible cloth top. As Natalie stared in awe at the cars before her, Bane merely chuckled at her speechlessness.

"Your Jeep is lovely, little one," he remarked, amused. "But I fear that Gotham's finest do not own Jeeps, so I have commandeered a few more appropriate methods of transportation for your choosing." She took one last look at the cars, and spoke, a sense of finality to her tone. "You made this much too easy for me," she said, grinning and pointing to her favorite of the cars. Bane grinned back at her from beneath the mask. "Somehow I knew that you would choose that one," he replied, more to himself than to her.

"I have one more surprise for you," he said, extending his hand to her, which she took immediately, and led her back to the room that they shared. Bane opened the door, and Natalie fought back tears as she saw what he had done for her. Over the bed hung a beautiful, hand-stitched, Texas flag.

"I know that you miss your home," he remarked quietly. "I got this flag for you as a promise. When all of this is over, I will take you there. You have my word that you will see your home again." Natalie was speechless for the second time that night. Bane was going to give her the thing that she longed for most. She was going home again.

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The next day was busy. Bane's men were in and out all day, trying to get everything ready for that night. To Natalie's dismay, she had been ordered to spend the day inside with Barsad, and her kidnapped stylist.

The stylist was a woman in her thirties, with blond hair, breast implants, and more botox than Natalie cared to think about. Her name was Victoria, and she was terrified. Barsad informed her that if she did as she was told, she would be blindfolded, and taken home later that evening.

After much coaxing, she finally calmed down, and focused on the task of preparing Barsad and Natalie for the party. She glanced Barsad over quickly, nodding, and remarking that it could be done, but when she took in Natalie's appearance, she clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

"Where did you get this one?" she asked in disdain. "A tank top? Camouflage pants? Cowboy boots? Her nose is crooked beyond belief, and those scars on her arms are terrible. You would have better luck dressing up one of the other men I think." Natalie scoffed at the woman. "Excuse me?" she spat, slightly offended. "Forgive me for not having plastic boobs and so much botox that I have to drink through a straw!"

Barsad stepped in between the two women, fearing for Victoria's life. "Easy ladies," he said, hoping to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. "Best watch yourself Victoria. Natalie can kill you with her bare hands if she wants to, and if she doesn't do it, the boss will. This is his girl." At the mention of Bane, Victoria paled considerably, and decided to keep her mouth shut.

She worked with Barsad first, cleaning him up, trimming his facial hair, and dressing him in a black tux, with a black shirt and vest. She started to put on his tie, but he informed her that he would wait until they arrived at the party for that nonsense. Natalie laughed, taking in his appearance. She was struck by how truly handsome Barsad was. He cleaned up well. Victoria turned to her next, and Natalie sighed, knowing that she was not going to like this one bit.

"Make my date beautiful," Barsad commented jokingly, poking fun at Natalie's exasperated expression. "Not that she isn't already," he added quickly, winking, as Natalie raised her middle finger at him and rolled her eyes.

Victoria began cleaning Natalie up. She meticulously put makeup on her, waxed her eyebrows and legs, and began to work on her hair. Natalie was glad for Barsad's presence, lightening the mood. She hated being prettied up like someone's doll, and it was difficult to hide her feelings on the matter. Victoria curled her hair, pulling it all back into a messy, but fashionable, up do, despite Natalie's protests. She was used to having hair in her face, and she hated having it all pulled back like that.

It was late afternoon by the time Victoria finished with Natalie's hair. Bane stopped by to check on their progress, and Barsad modeled her hair off like Vanna White, resulting in Natalie cracking a smile for the first time since Victoria started working on her. Bane nodded in approval, but then changed his mind, and walked over to Natalie. He gently pulled a little bit of her hair from its bobby pin confines, allowing some of it to hang down in her face. "Now it pleases me," he stated evenly.

Victoria pursed her lips in disapproval, but knew better than to scold Bane. Instead, she straightened the little bit of hair that he had freed, and left it framing her face. Victoria moved on, unzipping the bag with Natalie's dress in it, pulling it out, along with a pair of heels.

"Oh no…" Natalie remarked, looking to Bane for help. He merely chuckled at her reaction, shaking his head in amusement. "I cannot save you from this little one," he said fondly. "I will be back to see the finished product shortly." Natalie shouted at him in panic as he was leaving. "Can I please wear my boots?" She was desperate. She was going to trip, fall, and die in heels.

Bane laughed at her request. "No little one, you cannot wear boots." With that he walked away, leaving a terrified Natalie in Victoria's clutches. After much argument, Victoria finally managed to get her into the bathroom, and dressed. Once she was finished, she ushered her out of the bathroom where Barsad was waiting. His jaw dropped open upon seeing her. The transformation was amazing.

"What?" Natalie asked, concerned by his lack of words. "Is it that bad?" She was growing more concerned by the moment over his staring. "No…. It's… You look beautiful," he finally managed to stammer. She wrinkled up her nose at his response. Just then, Bane walked into the room. He stopped short as he saw Natalie, and his green eyes widened in shock.

For a moment, he couldn't breathe. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. "What do you think?" she asked him slowly, distaste written on her face. Bane was snapped from his reverie by her inquiry. "What?" he asked, genuinely unaware of what she had just said. Natalie rolled her eyes, and muttered "men…" under her breath.

Bane took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before he spoke. If it were up to him, he would have her right then and there. "You're very beautiful," he said, a bit taken aback. "Absolutely perfect." He moved to her side as Natalie began to put her diamond necklace on. Bane took it from her, and draped it around her neck, clasping it tightly in the back.

Natalie shivered as his hands brushed across her bare skin. His touch was electric to her. Once her necklace was fastened, she broke Barsad, who was still staring at her, from his trance. He began to arm her quickly.

She strapped her Kimber 1911, black and stainless handgun to her thigh with a thin holster. She loved the 1911s, and this one in particular, was her weapon of choice. She then stuffed one of the two small explosive devices that they had made, in her bra. Bane held the detonation button, and Natalie was not worried about any accidental explosions. Barsad handed her fake ID to her for the night, which she also stuffed in her bra. Barsad then armed himself with a Colt .45 handgun, and placed the second explosive device in the pocket of his tux jacket. They were finally ready to go.

Together the three of them stepped outside, where Natalie's car of choice was waiting for them. She didn't see any of the other men, and Barsad began to check out the car, giving Bane and Natalie a small moment of privacy together. Bane bid her to be careful, and promised that he would meet her at the party later in the evening. Natalie stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek right above his mask, bidding him to be careful as well.

He tossed her the keys, and she called out to Barsad. "I'm driving," she commanded, grinning wickedly, and climbing into the driver's seat. Barsad climbed in to the passenger side after her, shutting the door behind him. Natalie revved up the engine, reveling in the sweet sound of the Flowmaster exhaust, and drove off towards their destination. Tonight, Gotham would burn.

**I figured I would leave you guys hanging on her dress and on the car that she picked, so you can be surprised in the next chapter! I've chosen a front-runner for the dress contest, but it's not too late! Send me your ideas! Anyways, I'll get chapter 21 up as quickly as possible, and please tell me what you think! If you want to see something happen tell me about that too! I love to hear from you guys! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Hi everyone! I just wanted to bring to your attention Bane's character, and why I've chosen to write him the way that I have. I was re-reading my last chapter, and I realized that some of you might think he was a little too "nice." Here's what I'm going for, and if I'm on the wrong track, please tell me, because Bane is way too awesome to ruin his character. I am trying to portray him as he was in the movie. Bane is not a good guy by any means, and I don't want to portray him as such. He doesn't think twice about taking a life, and he's ruthless and calculating. In the movie, he also had a soft spot for Talia, and he did everything that happened in the movie for her, so that she could get revenge for Ra's Al Ghul's death. That is what I'm trying to do with him. He's ruthless, but he does have the capacity to care for someone, and he would do anything for the woman that he loves. Anyways, I felt that I needed to clarify that, so you know what my thoughts were with the last chapter. About this chapter: I was going to write all of the action into one chapter, but it was going to be WAY too long, so I decided to split it between this one and chapter 22. Anyways, read, review, and enjoy!**

**A big thanks to blackwings05 and zohie95 for designing Natalie's dress! I couldn't have done it without you guys!**

Chapter 21

Bane could not get the image of her out of his mind. He had always thought Natalie beautiful, but when he had walked into that room, everything that had been on the mercenary's mind paled in comparison to the sight of her.

She was wearing a tight, black, strapless, satin dress with a sweetheart neckline, and a corset back. The sight of her soft skin on her nearly fully exposed back had made his blood run hot, and the fact that the dress only accentuated her perfect, athletic curves and breasts, didn't help matters. The dress flowed down into a subtle mermaid style bottom, not too much of a flair, but enough to give the dress a little extra style.

Bane had chosen the camo pumps that went with it, knowing full well that Natalie would not be happy in heels, but wanting her to feel a little bit better about having to wear them. He was jealous of Barsad for getting to attend the party as her date, but he had known that he wouldn't exactly blend in with a crowd. The mercenary trusted his second in command more than any of his other men, so he had been the obvious choice to accompany Natalie.

Bane was lost in thought as he stepped back into the house to make the final preparations for their plan, and he didn't see Robbie until it was too late. The younger man thrust a knife into his shoulder, tackling the mercenary, and throwing him off balance.

Together, they tumbled to the floor, but Bane was larger and faster. He grabbed Robbie's arm, pulling him closer, and wrapped his massive arms around the young man's waist. Standing up, he took Robbie with him, and slammed him hard against the nearest wall.

A sickening crack was heard, as his ribcage made contact with the wall, and he began to crumple to the floor. Bane caught the young man before he fell, holding him tightly around the neck, and slammed him against the wall once more. Robbie's breath was knocked from him, leaving him gasping, but the masked mercenary never loosened his grip.

He used his free hand to pull the knife from his shoulder, letting the blood flow down him bicep, and stabbed the blood-soaked knife harshly into the wall beside Robbie's head. "The next time that you decide to stab someone, boy, you better make sure that they die," he growled. "And do not pick fights that you cannot possibly win."

The younger man glared at him, hatred and contempt swimming in his gray-blue eyes. His eyes were so much like Natalie's, yet the emotions within them couldn't be more different. "If my sister dies, I'm going to kill you," he remarked coldly.

Bane laughed, his mechanical voice booming off of the walls. "You seem to have forgotten your place, boy," he commented, amused. "Although your fears are misplaced. I will not allow any harm to befall your sister. I will be meeting her soon enough, and she will not be leaving my side."

Robbie narrowed his eyes, and took a shaky breath as he struggled to breathe. "She may not die this time," he spat. "But if she continues to help you, she will eventually, and her blood will be on your hands. You don't deserve her, so let her go."

Bane's green eyes flashed with anger, and narrowed dangerously. "You think that I am unaware that I am not deserving of her?" he growled. "She is free to leave whenever she wishes, and she has chosen to stay with me. I will not let you take her from me. Were you not Natalie's brother, I would kill you for your insolence."

The mercenary applied more pressure to the younger man's neck, watching him squirm uncomfortably. "If you will not make her leave," Robbie hissed, running short on breath. "Then you do not love her."

Bane brought his mask close, so close, that he was almost touching Robbie's nose, his mechanical voice low and dangerous. "My love for your sister is the only reason that you are still breathing. Speak to me in this manner again, and I will personally make sure that you do not live to see another day."

The mercenary's words were not a threat, they were a promise. He released the younger man, watching as he fell into a heap on the floor. Robbie got up slowly, spat on the ground, and walked away, holding his side in pain. He would have several broken ribs, and it would take him awhile to recover from this encounter. Bane walked away with a knife wound, but more important things were on his mind.

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Natalie revved up the engine of the 1967 Shelby GT 500 fastback Mustang. She would never grow tired of the beautiful sound that the exhaust made. Barsad seemed to be enjoying himself as well, grinning widely every time an onlooker stopped to stare at them.

The drive to Wayne Manor was fairly short and uneventful. They were to be attending a fundraiser for the orphaned boys of Gotham. It was widely known that the government officials and well to do aristocrats of Gotham would all be in attendance, each wanting to show off their wealth and power to everyone else. Natalie and Barsad would be in attendance as well, but for a very different reason.

When they reached the drive of the mansion, a valet took the keys from her, and drove off to park the sleek, black Mustang. Natalie helped Barsad put on his tie, which was green to match her shoes. The mercenary mouthed a thank you, and watched as his date pulled on a pair of black satin gloves to hide the kill count on her forearm.

Once satisfied that they were presentable, she motioned towards the door, and together they made their way inside the mansion. They were checked for identification just inside the door, but fortunately for them, there was no security check.

Natalie was to be Emily Coleman, the daughter of a southern oil tycoon, and Barsad was to be William Blair, the young CEO of an up and coming Investment Company. Their pseudo names and identification were checked against a guest list, and a bored guard waved them through without any issues.

The mansion was huge, and the party equally as big. There was a DJ in the corner playing music, a refreshment table was set up against the back wall, and there were butlers attending to the guests. People were everywhere, all dressed in the most expensive clothes that Natalie had ever seen. Some were talking, others dancing, and all of them looked like royalty.

As the two party crashers walked in, every eye at the party was on them. Natalie could feel the eyes of every man in the room upon her, and she was overcome with a feeling of nakedness at the intensity of their stares. Equally intense, were the glares of their dates upon noticing that they had competition for the attention of their men.

Barsad looped his arm around her, both as a message to the men that his date was off limits, and to support her as she walked in heels. The men averted their eyes, but still snatched a few glimpses here and there of this mysterious new beauty among them. The two party crashers were quickly forgotten however, as Gotham's new mayor, Alexis Trenton, and her husband arrived at the party. They were both adorned head to toe in diamonds and gold, leaving Natalie's attire unnoticeable in comparison.

Only one pair of eyes remained glued to her and Barsad. A young man with dark hair leaned against the wall of the mansion. He wore a suit instead of a tux, with a holster and a Glock 9mm at his side. The young man was thin, but built, and his brown eyes were trained on the two party crashers.

Natalie tried to ignore his gaze, and focused on her date. He looked quite handsome in his tux, with his messy brown hair slightly more tamed than usual, and his brown eyes full of laughter. They had a little time to kill before they needed to act, so Barsad asked her to dance. She agreed, and he led her out amidst the other guests to the dance floor. The mercenary wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from falling, and she circled her own arms around his neck.

The two of them danced for a while, each enjoying the other's company. "Why Bane?" he asked her, when he was certain that no one could overhear their conversation. "Why this life? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you're here, but why do you stay with him?"

Natalie sighed. She was tired of everyone trying to act like they knew what was best for her. "He's not a monster," she said firmly. "We've been through hell and back together. He saved my life, he's good to me, and he accepts me for who I am."

Barsad snorted, his warm, brown eyes meeting hers intently. "Many men would be good to you and accept you," he retorted, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's a shame that you met Bane first. I like the big guy, don't get me wrong, and I know that he cares about you, but that doesn't change what he is. Bane is a shark, and he always will be. All he knows and understands are violence and intimidation."

She frowned at his words, knowing that he was right, but not wanting to admit it. "If anything happens to you tonight, he's going to kill me," the mercenary stated grimly. "He does not take failure or incompetence lightly, and if you come back with so much as a scratch, he will not hesitate to dispose of me. That is the kind of man that he is. If you expect him to settle down and play house with you, then you are only fooling yourself. He will never change."

Natalie merely sighed, knowing that Barsad was only trying to help her. She quickly changed the subject, and they talked and laughed about other things. After a few more dances, she became aware of how close the two of them were. Her neck was practically resting against his shoulder. The mercenary also noticed their closeness, and they distanced themselves slightly. "It's time to get moving," he commented, still slightly awkward by their close proximity.

They left the dance floor, and started to go their separate ways. The plan was for Natalie to plant her explosive device on the right side of the mansion, and for Barsad to plant his on the left side. Bane had identified the two walls that were most structurally sound, and that was where they were going to plant the devices. Once the devices were activated, the mansion would cave in, killing everyone inside.

She started to head towards the right side of the mansion, when suddenly; the man that had been leaning against the wall stopped her. He politely asked her for a dance, and Natalie reluctantly accepted, not wanting to look suspicious. Before she knew it, the strange man had her out on the dance floor again, wrapping his arms around her waist, just as Barsad had. She frantically looked around, finding her date at the edge of the dance floor, keeping an eye on her.

"You're not from around here," the strange man commented, having taken note of her southern accent. "What's your name?" he asked, curiosity burning in his brown eyes. "Emily," she lied easily. "Emily Coleman. I'm from Louisiana. My father owns an oil company, and I'm studying law here. May I ask with whom I have the pleasure of dancing this evening?" Natalie turned on her charm, not wanting the strange man to see her nervousness. He smiled at her, taking her in, and memorizing her features.

"My name is John Blake," he said easily. "I'm a cop here in Gotham, and I'm here at this tediously awful fundraiser, because I was once an orphan, and I want to show my support for the boys." He looked at her once again, making her more nervous then she already was. "And the pleasure, Miss Coleman, is all mine," he said, grinning.

Natalie danced with John, talking to him for some time, but desperately wanting to get away. Associating with a cop had not been on her to do list for the evening. Her wish was finally granted as his cell phone rang, showing that he had received a text message.

"I have to go," John remarked regretfully. "Duty calls. Is there any chance I can get your number?" The mysterious young woman shook her head, pointing to her fellow party crasher, who had been watching her closely. "I don't think my date would appreciate that very much," she lied. The young cop shook his head slowly, understanding.

"Ah… well, it was lovely to meet you Emily," he said. "Perhaps I will see you again sometime." He bowed slightly, taking his leave, and headed to the front door. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief at his departure, and headed towards the right wing of the mansion once again. Barsad noted that she was okay, and began to make his journey towards the left wing.

She left the crowd behind her, and headed down several short hallways, until she reached a large study. The wall on the outside of the study was holding up a good portion of the mansion, and it was here that Natalie needed to plant her device. She noticed a small column with a plant on top of it pushed against the wall for aesthetics. It was behind this column that she decided to place the explosive device.

She pulled the small, rectangle box out of her bra, and affixed it directly to the wall behind the column. No one would find it until it was too late. Once she was finished, she began to make her way back to the party, only to be stopped by the approach of an older gentleman in a tux, with a tray of empty drinks in his hand.

"Evening Miss," the old man called out cheerily. "Are you looking for the bathrooms?" He would be suspicious if Natalie didn't answer, so she just decided to go with it. "Yes," she lied, having no other explanation for her presence away from the party. "This mansion is just so big. I got lost looking for it." The young woman grinned sheepishly, hoping that the older man would buy her lie.

The butler smiled at her, unknowingly accepting her lie. "Yes, it is rather large. Master Wayne, my employer, always said so as well, although you do get used to it after awhile. What is your name Miss?" Natalie felt much more at ease with the old butler than she had with John, and she returned his smile happily.

"Emily Coleman," she replied. "I'm from Louisiana. My father is the owner of an oil company, and I'm here studying law." She had used the same story she gave to the cop; so as to avoid any discrepancies in her faux background.

"Very well Miss Coleman, it was a pleasure meeting you," the old butler said, smiling at her once again. "The bathroom is down this hall and to the left. Last door. If you require anything else at all, please do not hesitate to ask. My name is Alfred."

Natalie wasn't sure why, but she liked Alfred. Maybe it was because he reminded her of her own grandfather, who had died several years ago. Suddenly, it dawned on her that he was going to die tonight, and that she was going to be the one responsible for his death.

"Wait…Alfred!" she called out, just as he had begun to walk away. "There is something that you can do for me." The old butler turned to face her, smiling, and awaiting her instructions. "I need you to go check on my car," she lied. "The valet that took my keys acted like he had had a little too much to drink, and I'm afraid that he might have damaged my vehicle trying to park it."

Natalie pursed her lips, trying to look as concerned as she possibly could. Alfred merely nodded in acknowledgement. "Of course Miss Coleman. I will check on it immediately." he said cheerily. "Which one is yours?"

"The Lamborghini Murcielago," she lied once again. Right now she just needed to get the butler out of the mansion for a while, and what better way to accomplish this goal than a wild goose chase? Natalie thanked him, and walked away slowly, making sure that he left the mansion.

Once satisfied that he would be gone for quite some time, she headed back into the crowd, where Barsad was waiting for her. "It's done," she stated simply. He nodded, indicating that his part was finished as well. Luckily, they didn't have to wait very long.

Screams from the entrance of the mansion indicated that the rest of their party had arrived. Bane strutted in through the front door like he owned the place, with the rest of the League in tow. The crowd of people parted to get out of his way, and those that didn't move quickly enough were dispatched with a single flick of Bane's powerful wrist. People were screaming and crying, panic starting to set in.

He made his way through the crowd like a God among mortals, dressed in his bulletproof vest, cargo pants, and combat boots, with an AK-47 at his side. The rest of the men moved quickly to block each exit from the main area, assault rifles raised and ready to fire. The masked mercenary stopped in the center of the room, his breath hissing harshly through his mask, and his eyes narrowed, looking around.

Upon finding Natalie and Barsad, he stepped towards them, causing the people in front of them to scatter every which way in fear. Bane extended a hand to Natalie, which she took immediately, despite several guests screaming at her to run. He led her to the center of the room to stand beside him, with Barsad following closely.

Bane allowed his eyes to wander over the beautiful woman beside him for a moment, and then he raised his AK-47, and pulled out the explosive detonator from his pocket, raising it above his head for all to see.

The crowd was completely silent, everyone terrified and awestruck all at the same time, each person thinking that this could not possibly be happening to them. After he had everyone's undivided attention, Bane finally addressed the crowd.

"People of Gotham," his mechanical voice boomed. "Tonight, you will take control of your city!"

**And that's it! Part one of my two-part action scene. Natalie has some tough choices to make. Should she stay with Bane? Or should she leave him? Decisions, decisions…what do you guys think? Anyways, hope you enjoyed it! Please review and tell me what you think!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you everyone for all of your support throughout this story! Being a first time fanfiction writer, it means a lot to me that you take time out of your day to read this and give me feedback, so thank you! I wish that I had time to go through and PM every one of you, thanking you personally, but this will have to do for now. Also, I would just like to say that I have made up my mind on how this story is going to end, and I promise you a spectacular ending that will be worth all the time that you have spent reading this story!**

**A quick note on this chapter: Allow me to reiterate myself by saying Bane is not a good guy, so this chapter shows Bane… well, being Bane, and doing what he does best. I have been told by some that my writing is violent, so I feel the need to throw a warning out there that this chapter is incredibly violent and intense. I will flat out tell you that there is cold blooded murder in this chapter, so if that bothers you, just skim through, and you will get the general idea of what's going on. Anyways, read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 22

"People of Gotham," Bane's mechanical voice boomed. "Tonight, you will take control of your city!" The crowd instantly panicked upon hearing his words. Gotham's finest were practically trampling each other to get to the exits, only to be met with the barrel of an assault rifle upon reaching their destination.

The masked mercenary fed on their terror, and Natalie could see a glint of pure, unadulterated delight in his green eyes, as he observed the crowd's panic driven struggle for life. "Fear not, good people of Gotham," he continued, his voice betraying the excitement that he felt. "You have been oppressed for long enough, and I, Gotham's Reckoning, am here to liberate you! I will give Gotham back to the people!"

The reactions of the crowd to their predicament were varied. Some cried, some were too stunned to move, and a few tried to escape, only to be shot at point blank range. Barsad stepped forward, addressing the panicked crowd. "If at any time you fail to cooperate with our demands, we will blow this entire mansion, and all of you will die."

Bane's right hand man pointed at the detonator that his boss held in his hand. The crowd freaked out even more, a few asking why, or what they wanted. "Now that we understand each other," the mercenary continued. "Hand over your police commissioner, and remember, if you fail to cooperate, you all die!"

Most of the crowd was silent, but a few people pointed at a terrified young man. Mob mentality was truly amazing, Natalie thought. Just moments ago, these people were friends, but faced with the prospect of death, they would turn on each other like mad dogs.

A pair of hands in the crowd pushed the young man forward, and he made his way hesitantly towards the center of the room. "On your knees," Bane commanded him. The young man did as he was told, shaking violently. Cold sweat beaded on his brow, and his auburn hair was wet from perspiration. "Where is Commissioner Gordon?" the masked mercenary growled, curiosity present in his tone.

"He…He's dead sir," the young man stammered, his worried, brown eyes darting between the three killers before him. Bane snorted in disdain, the muffled sound strange coming from his mask. "Pity," he mumbled to no one in particular. "I should have like to kill him myself, but no matter." He turned to face the crowd, speaking loudly for all to hear. "This man runs a corrupt police force. Half of his men make deals with criminals under the table, and he turns a blind eye to these actions."

The young man panicked. "No! Please!" he pleaded, but his fate had already been decided. Bane grabbed him roughly around the neck, lifting him up for all to see. The man struggled in his grasp, but his efforts were futile. The masked mercenary quickly reached up with his free hand, and snapped his neck with ease, allowing the body to drop to the floor when he was finished. The limp body of the new commissioner fell at an odd angle, his glassy eyes facing the crowd, and his legs splayed about wildly.

The crowd went berserk. Screams and pleas for mercy filled the air as Gotham's elite began to comprehend the situation. Retching could be heard, as some of the people closest to the body began to regret eating so much at the party.

Barsad shouted above the roar of the crowd, struggling to make himself heard. "Hand over your district attorney!" A middle-aged man with blond hair and glasses was shoved forward from the crowd. He stumbled, and almost fell, as the crowd pushed him towards the center of the room.

"On your knees," Barsad commanded him, saving Bane the trouble. The blond man shook his head, and the mercenary struck him over the head with the butt of his gun, forcing him to the ground. The D.A.'s body shook violently, and blood trickled down him face as he knelt before Bane.

"This man has prosecuted innocent people," the masked mercenary growled, his mechanical voice low and dangerous. "He did whatever it took to incarcerate as many people as possible to earn a paycheck, whether or not they were truly guilty. Barsad?" He looked to his right hand man, motioning him forward.

The blond man said nothing as the mercenary walked up to him, shoving his Colt .45 against the man's skull. He pulled the trigger without hesitation, painting the floor with the district attorney's blood, and walked away as the blond man crumpled to the floor. The blood from his bullet wound pooled beneath him, staining wood floors of the mansion red.

Natalie had been slightly rattled when Bane had snapped the new commissioner's neck, but this time, she didn't flinch. She had known that this was going to happen, and she could not allow herself to feel anything for these people. The only people that she felt anything at all for, were standing right next to her, and their lives were the only ones that mattered.

Bane turned his attention back to the crowd. "Hand over your lawyers," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument or games. Three men and a woman were shoved forward from the crowd. The shocked expressions on their faces suggested that they had just discovered how truly selfish their friends were. They tried to reintegrate into the crowd, but it was too late. Barsad dropped one of the men, and shouted at the other three to get on their knees.

Having no way to run or fight back, the three remaining lawyers hesitantly lowered themselves onto the ground. The masked mercenary stood before them, eyes narrowed, and addressed the crowd. "These lawyers have prosecuted innocent people, and let those who are guilty walk free. They are dogs, who only serve the man who pays them."

Bane raised his AK-47 and put a bullet in the head of the man closest to him. Barsad followed suit, and shot the woman, who was in close proximity to him. The last man, the masked mercenary grabbed roughly, lifting him up, and brining him down harshly onto his knee, severing his spinal cord.

He threw the body out into the crowd, pleased with the fear that he was instilling in them. Most of the people in the room had grown silent out of sheer terror. No doubt that some of them had probably already called the cops, but Bane had made sure that the cops would be busy on the other side of the city, and would never make it in time.

"And now for your illustrious mayor!" he boomed, his mechanical voice carrying over the crowd with ease. Mayor Trenton stepped out from the mass of people willingly, despite her husband's pleas, and began to walk toward the mercenaries in the center of the room. Her fiery red hair and blue eyes were set off by her gold and diamond covered red dress, and her stilettos made a faint clicking noise as she walked.

The mayor came to a stop before the three killers, and when she spoke, her voice was unwavering, as though she had already accepted her fate. "Go ahead, shoot me," the redhead spat. "But I will not be demeaned by getting on my knees before the likes of you, and you can't have Gotham."

Bane chuckled with amusement. "As if you have a choice madam mayor," he responded lightly, his voice full of the amusement that he felt. "I'm not asking you to kneel before me, but you WILL show some respect for my lovely lady. Now, on your knees."

Natalie was about to interrupt, but the masked mercenary gave her a look that indicated that his actions were not up for debate. Mayor Trenton refused to get on the ground, so Bane shoved the butt of his AK-47 harshly into her kneecaps, forcing her down painfully. Once she was on her knees, he turned to his lovely lady.

"Would you like the honors little one?" he asked gently. Natalie knew that an answer was expected. She did not particularly want to kill this woman, but if she were to refuse, she would lose the respect of Bane, Barsad, and the rest of the League, who were all watching intently. However, if she did shoot this woman, she would be a cold blooded murderer, There was no way that she could write this moment off as self defense, but then again, wasn't she already a murderer?

She had stood by and watched as the two mercenaries killed six people in cold blood, and she had said nothing. She was just as guilty as Bane and Barsad for their deaths. All of these thoughts ran through Natalie's head in a split second, and she made her decision quickly, choosing the option that was most beneficial for her.

The rancher pulled her Kimber 1911 from its holster, giving the masked mercenary a brief nod in response. She was going to murder the gaudy redhead before her. Bane's eyes lit up with pride and approval at her answer, and he addressed the crowd once again.

"This woman has allowed corruption of the highest order to exist in Gotham, and she has done nothing to correct the problem," he growled. "She has partied and lived expensively, while others have starved and suffered." Mayor Trenton began to shake violently as fear overtook her usually calm demeanor.

The masked mercenary turned towards Natalie, pride, approval, and enthusiasm emanating from his intimidating frame. His lovely lady raised her handgun, aiming right between the mayor's eyes, and ignoring her pleas as she pulled the trigger. The sound reverberated off of the walls as her round buried itself right between the redhead's eyes.

The mayor jerked back as the bullet made contact with her skull, and her body crumpled to the ground in a very un-ladylike fashion. Bane nodded in approval, and turned to address the crowd one final time.

"All of you are Gotham's elite," he spat, his mechanical voice low. "You have lived at the expense of those less fortunate than yourselves, and tonight it ends." The masked mercenary grabbed Natalie by the arm gently, leading her out the nearest door. Barsad followed closely, his gun trained on the crowd, as they made their way outside.

The sleek, black Mustang was waiting for them by the curb. The three of them piled into the car, with Bane driving, Natalie riding shotgun, and Barsad climbing into the backseat with some difficulty. The masked mercenary started up the car immediately, pressed the button on the detonator, and took off, away from the mansion.

5… Natalie could see the other men of the League exiting the building, and climbing into the other three sports cars. 4…. They were driving off, and shooting at people as they tried to escape from the mansion. 3… Bane shifted the Mustang into second gear, and then third gear, pressing down on the gas pedal. 2… He shifted the car into fourth gear, and then fifth, accelerating quickly now. 1…. They careened onto the nearest road, barely missing a semi, and drove off as quickly as the Mustang would go.

A loud blast was heard, causing the perpetrators to cover their ears from the level of noise. The three killers could feel the earth rumble, and Natalie looked back just in time to see the beautiful mansion collapse in on itself. They had succeeded in their plan. Now they just needed to get back to their hideout.

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On the other side of Gotham, John Blake had just arrived at the scene that he had been called to. On the way over, he had cursed himself a million times for rejoining the police force. The only reason that he had done so was because of Commissioner Gordon's death, and Bane's escape. Gotham PD needed him, and that was the only reason that he was here.

The scene that he arrived at was one of mass chaos. Some crazy had strapped explosives to his chest, and was threatening to blow up the stock exchange building. John approached his fellow officers to get the scoop on what was going on. "What's the story?" he asked, all business now.

"I don't know," his buddy answered truthfully. "This guy keeps saying that he's going to blow up the stock exchange, but then he says that somebody made him do it, so I'm not really sure what's going on just yet."

The man with the explosives strapped to his chest looked oddly enough like a homeless man that John had seen around town. The young cop remembered him holding a sign that read, "The End is Near" and hanging out on the street corners. This man had never struck him as the type to threaten the lives of others, and something seemed off about the whole ordeal.

Several cops had surrounded the homeless man, aiming their guns at him, and yelling at him to get on the ground. Surprisingly, he complied immediately, lowering himself to the ground. One cop ran up to him, cuffing him, and pulling him up. He brought the man over towards John, his fellow officers flanking him, their guns trained on the homeless man.

As they got closer, the young cop could hear what the man was saying. "He made me do it," the homeless man muttered. "Told me he would kill me if I didn't." John addressed the man as he was led past him. "Who?" he asked, genuinely curious. "Who told you to do this?" The man looked at him, his eyes haunted as he remembered what had happened to him.

"The man with the mask," he responded quickly. "He talks like this," the homeless man said, crudely imitating Bane's mechanical, muffled voice. One of the other cops opened the man's jacket. "Hey!" the cop exclaimed angrily. "These aren't explosives! They're plastic!"

Realization suddenly dawned on John. "We have to get to Wayne Manor," he remarked urgently, bitterness in his tone. "Bane has played us for fools, and we took the bait." The other cops caught on quickly, and they all rushed to their cars in haste. John started up the engine, peeling away from the scene, and leaving a very confused homeless man in his wake. He only hoped that he wouldn't be too late.

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Bane, Natalie, and Barsad sped along on the roads of Gotham, dodging cars, and driving as fast as the Mustang would allow. The sound of police sirens could be heard behind them, and flashing red and blue lights appeared in their rearview mirror. The cops had figured out that they were being played more quickly than expected, but no matter, the deed had already been done.

"Cops have caught on," Barsad commented matter of factly. "No shit!" Natalie exclaimed sarcastically, trying to hide the fact that she was extremely worried. "Can we lose them?" she asked. Bane merely nodded, and turned sharply to the right, driving the car down a small alley.

The cops followed them, knocking over a pair of trashcans in their haste. The alley quickly ended, and another sharp right turn put them back onto a main road. They made several more turns down alleyways, and back onto main roads but were unable to lose the cops. A yellow Corvette behind them indicated that they had found a few of their men, and the growing number of police cars following them, only confirmed that fact.

A shot rang out, and a bullet whizzed past the Mustang, as the cops began to open fire on them, trying to shoot out the tires of the two sports cars. Barsad handed Natalie an AR-15 that had been in the back seat, and crawled up into the front seat next to her with one of his own. The masked mercenary kept his eyes on the road, punching the accelerator as fast as it would go.

His two fellow occupants of the car, rolled down the passenger side window, and aimed their assault rifles at the cops following them. From their vantage point, they could see Nikolai leaning out the window of the Corvette, and doing the same thing as Red drove. Shots were fired from all parties, and Natalie felt a bullet whiz past her head, barely missing its mark.

Aiming at their high speed was difficult, but she managed to take out two cops, watching as they tumbled from their vehicles onto the pavement below. Barsad shot out the tires of one cop car, causing them to hit an oncoming car and flip twice. The screeching sound of metal on pavement could be heard for miles as the cop car came to rest on the other side of the street, bursting into flames and burning the occupants. The Russian also managed to shoot out the tires of a car, causing them to come to a screeching halt in the middle of the street, only to be hit by a car that was unable to stop in time.

The rancher noticed a cop hanging out of his car, aiming at Nikolai as he reloaded. She quickly took aim, and shot the cop, causing the bullet to miss its target, barely grazing the Russian's arm. The former KGB agent looked at Natalie, giving her a thumbs up, and mouthing a thank you.

The cops returned her fire, and a stray bullet whizzed past her head once again, hitting Barsad in the shoulder. The mercenary cried out in pain, and Bane grabbed Natalie by the arm, pulling her into the car immediately afterwards. "Drive," he commanded her, pulling her over his lap, and pushing her to the steering wheel of the car.

Once he was satisfied that she had the wheel, the masked mercenary grabbed her AR-15, and took her place at the window with Barsad. Natalie took control of the Mustang, putting on her seatbelt out of habit, and accelerating to top speeds. She made a sharp left turn, down a narrow street, losing Nikolai and Red, in hopes that they would also lose the cops.

There was no such luck, as the majority of Gotham's police department followed them. The two mercenaries were hanging out of the window, trading fire with the cops. The rancher jumped as the back glass of the car shattered, bullets and glass shards flying past her head. Natalie took several more sharp turns, dodging traffic, and almost had several head on collisions, but the cops in pursuit never left their sight. They were quickly approaching the lake on the edge of Gotham, and they were running out of room for this chase.

Bane noted their dilemma, and pulled a grenade from his bulletproof vest. He pulled the pin, and threw it just in front of their pursuers. The explosion was deafening. The ground shook, and they could feel the heat, as the grenade took out the cops in pursuit.

Several of the cop cars burst into flames, while others flipped end over end, killing their occupants. Bane and Barsad high fived, and Natalie allowed herself a small grin of victory as she drove on the road that ran parallel with the lake below. She didn't notice the spike strip that had been set up to mark the edge of the city until it was too late.

"Bane!" she cried out, eyes wide in fear, as the Mustang slammed into the spikes at full speed. The tires blew out immediately, and Natalie struggled to regain control of the car, but was unsuccessful. The sports car slid sideways, tires screeching, and tipped over the side of the road, crashing down on the rocks below. Both Bane and Barsad were thrown from the car through the front windshield upon impact.

The sleek, black Mustang flipped over multiple times, traveling down the face of the cliff, and splashing upside down into the lake below, where it began to sink immediately.

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When Natalie came to, she was upside down, hanging from her seatbelt in the Mustang. Blood dripped down the side of her face, and she could feel glass shards imbedded in her face and upper body. She felt as if she had been hit by a train.

Her pain was quickly forgotten however, as she noticed water pouring into the sports car through the broken glass of the front and rear windshields. The rancher had maybe a minute before she was completely submerged.

Natalie reached for the knife that she kept in her boots, intending to cut herself free, and swim out the window, and to the surface, only to remember that she was wearing heels. She began to panic. Both Bane and Barsad had been thrown from the car, and even if they had survived, they would be in no position to help her. She was on her own.

As the water began to rise, the rancher slowed her rapid breathing, trying to stay calm, and hoping to conserve her oxygen for as long as possible. She desperately looked for something, ANYTHING, with which she could use to cut her restraints. Noticing broken glass in the front windshield, she reached over and grabbed a piece, attempting to cut her seatbelt.

Natalie was unsuccessful however, and only ended up cutting her hand with the glass. She was trapped. The water level was just below her head now, and would overtake her quickly. The rancher briefly thought about ending her life with a bullet to the head. Surely such a death would be easier than drowning, but her plans were foiled as she realized that her gun had been lost in the crash.

She was going to die here. The realization set in, hopelessness overtaking her completely. The water level rose past her eyes, and then her nose. She had only a few brief seconds left. Natalie thought of Bane, hoping desperately that he had survived, and saddened by the thought that she would never get to see him again. She wished that she could feel his touch one last time, but she knew that he life was coming to an end, and that such wishes would only make the process more painful.

She leaned up, taking a deep breath, as the water level rose past her chin. This was it, the end. Natalie lowered herself back into the water, and began to prepare for the slow and agonizing death that lay ahead for her.

**Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger, but not really ; ) Poor Natalie needs some help, and pronto! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope it wasn't too violent. The part that tore me up the most was having to wreck the Mustang… That kind of hurt a little bit… Anyways, please review! Tell me what you think. I love to hear from you guys!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello, people of ! Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows, favorites, etc… It totally makes my day hearing from you guys! The response I received after the last chapter was incredible, so thank you! **

**This story is now on the downhill slope. I estimate somewhere between 5 and 10 more chapters until the end, depending on how long I make those chapters. There will be a few chapters that are a little slower, but for the most part, this story will be full throttle from now until the end, as Bane and Natalie are quickly being surrounded by enemies on all sides! So if there is something that you want to see happen, tell me now before it's too late!**

**A quick word on this chapter: I am ADHD. I have problems that I do not take meds for, okay? Normally, it does not affect my life too much, but this week has been an exception. I have physically been unable to sit still for more than 10 minutes at a time, so writing this chapter was incredibly frustrating, and I apologize if it is not just spectacular. Please forgive me. As always, read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 23

Bane slowly opened his eyes, feeling excruciating pain. He lay sprawled over several rocks on the cliff that led down to the lake. He could feel glass shards embedded in his face, shoulders, and arms. He was bleeding from countless cuts and scrapes all over his body.

The masked mercenary raised himself shakily off the rocks, feeling pain from every single cut and bruise that he possessed. Barsad lay about five feet away from him, his body splayed at an odd angle on the rocks. Bane feared that his second in command was dead, until her saw the mercenary roll over, trying to stand up.

Barsad was covered in blood. His tux was torn and discolored from his bleeding wounds, but somehow he had survived. Suddenly, the masked mercenary remembered Natalie. She had not been thrown from the car like they had.

His eyes darted around frantically, looking for the Mustang, and for the woman he loved. What he saw made his blood run cold. The sports car was flipped upside down in the lake, with only the back tires visible as it sank beneath the water. His green eyes widened in fear, and he began to make his way toward the lake as fast as his beaten and bloodied body would allow him to move.

"Boss!" Barsad shouted, still struggling to stand. Bane turned to face him, annoyed. Natalie would be running out of oxygen, and he didn't have time for idle chatter.

"She won't be alive," the mercenary stated grimly, his face contorted in pain. "The car's been underwater for too long. All you'll bring back is her body, and you'll ruin your mask trying to get her out." The masked mercenary narrowed his eyes in anger, glaring at his second in command. "Do not presume that you can sway me from my decision," he growled. "My life is of no importance. I'm bringing her back, dead or alive, and every second I spend arguing with you, brings me a second closer to losing her."

Bane turned his back on Barsad, and continued on towards the water, lowering himself in with some difficulty. Before the other mercenary could say anything else, he dived under the water, and began to swim towards the sinking car. He could move much more easily underwater, his injuries not quite so taxing.

The masked mercenary could feel his mask filling up with water as he swam, and knew that it would be useless to him soon. He ignored his instinct to swim to the surface, and kept going. The Mustang was completely submerged now. He reached the driver's side window, and his heart sank when he saw Natalie. She was hanging upside down from her seatbelt, eyes closed, and perfectly still.

Bane broke the window with a swift fist into the glass, reached inside the Mustang, and quickly ripped the seatbelt off of his woman in one fluid motion. He pulled her small body into his arms, and began to swim for the surface. He was aware when his mask stopped working. It was no longer putting off his aerosol pain medication, and it was only a matter of time before the pain would overtake him.

They reached the surface in a matter of seconds, and the shore shortly after. The masked mercenary laid Natalie on the shore, and knelt next to her, feeling for a pulse, and desperately trying to get her to breathe. She was very pale. He feared the worst, but refused to give up. His efforts were rewarded a few seconds later, when the rancher rolled over, wheezing, and coughing up water from her lungs. She sucked in the air greedily, as though she feared losing it again.

When Natalie noticed Bane, a grin broke out over her face, and her gray blue eyes lit up with happiness. She threw her arms around him, and buried her face in his neck. The masked mercenary pulled her to his chest, awkwardly returning her spontaneous embrace. "I was so afraid that I would never see you again," Natalie whispered. "I thought I was going to die."

Bane held her close, resting his mask on the top of her head. He could feel a dull pain starting to settle over his body, and he knew that his time was limited. "I will never let you die," he murmured softly. "You are with me now, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

Barsad, who had finally managed to stand up, came limping over towards the couple. "I hate to break up your… whatever this is," he stated. "But we need to move, now. Everyone knows where we are, and it won't be long before what's left of Gotham's police force will be here."

Bane nodded, seeing the wisdom of his words, and reluctantly released Natalie. The two of them stood up on shaky legs, and began to follow the mercenary back towards the road. The trek up the cliff was slow and painful for everyone, but for Bane most of all. His pain had intensified, and by the time that they reached the road, it was all he could do to stand.

Natalie and Barsad each stood under his arms, supporting his body weight as they traveled. The mercenary contacted their men, giving them instructions to travel to their hideout and get Bane's pain medication. He also disclosed their location, instructing the men to meet the three of them close by. Meanwhile, they kept moving, looking for cover.

They had walked about a mile down the road, passing several small houses and a gas station when they saw red and blue lights headed their way. Two cop cars pulled up behind them, their occupants brandishing guns of all sizes. The cops were fast, but Barsad was faster.

By the time they realized that they had stumbled upon the people they were looking for, it was already too late. The mercenary shot two of the four cops, before they even had a chance to raise their weapons. The other two cops aimed at him, but they weren't fast enough. Barsad shot the gas tank on one of the police cars, lighting up the volatile gas, and causing the car to explode, bursting into flames. The second car was parked too close to the first, and also caught on fire, burning the occupants within, before they could react.

Before they could breathe a sigh of relief, a squadron of cops on foot surrounded the three killers, shouting at them with guns raised. Bane was in no position to even move, much less fight, and Natalie desperately tried to shield him with her body, as Barsad raised his gun at the squadron of cops. There was no way they were getting out of this alive, and they all knew that.

A shot rang out, and the cop closest to the trio fell, a bullet exiting through his skull. The other cops turned to see where the shot had come from, and were met with more hostility. Marc, Alex, and Dmitri were standing about twenty feet away, picking them off one by one with their assault rifles.

"We need to get underground," Barsad commented. "If we stay here, we die." Natalie agreed, and together they moved, supporting Bane, to the next street over, and out of sight from the cops. They found the closest manhole, and the mercenary opened the cover, allowing the rancher to climb down first.

She climbed down with ease, jumping off at the bottom. Bane came down next. He was in a lot of pain, but he managed to climb down slowly, and with Natalie's help at the bottom of the steps. Barsad took up the rear, closing the manhole as he climbed down.

Once they had all reached the bottom, they made their way slowly through the underground labyrinth of the sewers, headed for Bane's former base of operations. Barsad called their men once again, disclosing their new location, and discussing the rendezvous point.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally arrived at their destination. The underground hideout was small, but effective. There were several cots strewn out, a table for maps and planning, a few chairs, a mini fridge with a few water bottles and food items, a toilet, and a sink. Off to the side of the main area, there was a small closed off area of the sewers that Bane had used as his personal room during his reign of Gotham. The closed off area contained an air mattress, a toilet, and a sink. Overall, the hideout was very well thought out, and had been untouched since Bane and his men had been there previously.

Natalie helped Bane sit down in one of the chairs, and used a knife that Barsad had given her to mark her kills from the party while they waited for the others. She made one mark for the mayor, and three for the cops that she had shot during their getaway. The marks were neat and straight on her forearm, and she cleaned and put away the knife when she was finished.

They didn't have to wait long before Dmitri and Alex found them in the sewers. They brought the injectible pain medication for Bane, and clothes for Natalie and Barsad, which they accepted gratefully. The rancher administered the pain medication, and within only a few minutes, the masked mercenary was feeling better.

"Where are the others," he asked, once he could stand up and walk around on his own again. "They are coming," Dmitri responded in his thickly accented English. "They were getting some weapons and a few supplies from the hideout. They should be here soon."

Alex's eyes never left the floor, not even as he spoke. "Marc didn't make it," he said flatly. "Cops gunned him down. " Bane nodded in acknowledgement. A few losses were inevitable. "The cops are everywhere," the mercenary continued. "We're lucky that we made it down here alive."

The masked mercenary seemed deep in thought for quite some time, and then he finally addressed his men. "I need someone to repair my mask," he stated bluntly, pacing the area. "These injections work, but they are not completely effective. I can still feel pain, and I need my mask operational before we move again."

The men all shrugged their shoulders, each totally clueless about how to fix his mask. They were mercenaries, not engineers. "Robbie can fix it," Natalie remarked solemnly. "He can fix anything."

A chill ran down Bane's spine at her words as he remembered all too well the beating that he had given the young man not even twenty-four hours ago. There was no way that Robbie was going to agree to help him. "I doubt that he will agree to that," the masked mercenary stated simply. Natalie merely shook her head. "I'll talk to him," she said tiredly. "He will do it if I ask it of him."

They didn't have to wait very long before the rest of the men showed up. Nikolai and Red walked in, laughing about something, followed closely by Robbie and Blackjack. They had retrieved a small stash of weapons from their hideout, and enough food that would allow them to stay underground for a few days if needed.

The young Russian noticed Natalie, and gave an exaggerated bow towards her. "You saved my ass back there," he remarked, his thickly accented voice full of the gratitude that he undoubtedly felt. "My life and my gun are yours Cobra Master."

The rancher arched an eyebrow in mild amusement. "Cobra Master?" she asked dubiously. "What kind of name is that?" Nikolai grinned widely at her response. "Do you like it little Cobra?" he teased. "Red came up with it. It is because you are dangerous. You strike quickly, and without warning. Your enemies do not stand a chance!" he exclaimed, raising his arms theatrically. Natalie laughed at his enthusiasm.

"Very well then," she said, amusement in her voice. "You may call me the Cobra Master if it pleases you." Nikolai and Red fist bumped each other, both men grinning in victory. This just made the rancher laugh even harder. Her fun was short lived however as she quickly remembered what she needed to do. She called Robbie aside to ask him about fixing Bane's mask.

The masked mercenary watched intently as the two siblings traveled out of hearing distance down the sewers. He could see that what began as a conversation, soon turned into a shouting match, which he knew was about him. Natalie said something to her brother shortly after they started shouting that shut him up, and the two of them walked back over to the group together. Bane was certain by the defeated look on Robbie's face that he had reluctantly agreed to fix the mask.

Robbie tinkered with Bane's mask for most of the day, occasionally sending people out for supplies, while the masked mercenary stayed out of sight, choosing to stay in the small closed off area of the sewer hideout. He would allow no one in his presence without the mask on, save Natalie. Barsad spent the day treating everyone's wounds, and the young rancher helped him treat Bane's and his own. Everyone was pretty banged up, and it was a miracle that they had only lost one man.

The day dragged on as the team of mercenaries tried to pull themselves together. Cops were everywhere outside the sewers, and it was only a matter of time before their hideout was compromised. Their intentions were to stay underground only long enough for Bane's mask to be repaired, so they each took turns on watch, making sure that their location was safe for the time being.

Barsad kept an eye on all of the men, and walked around setting explosives on the walls of their hideout. Natalie spent most of her time in the sewers with Bane, in his closed off room. He needed injections of pain medication about every thirty minutes or so to stay lucid, and their supply was dwindling. She kept making more, trying to keep up with his constant need for the narcotics.

Late that evening, she decided to broach the tricky subject of her brother with him, since they were alone together. "What happened to Robbie?" the rancher inquired of him. "He looked pretty banged up, but he won't tell me what happened." The masked mercenary's eyes grew dark, and his brow furrowed as he tried to decide how best to word his response.

"We had a bit of an altercation," he stated bluntly, knowing that she would accept nothing but the truth from him. "He stabbed me, and I broke a few of his ribs in return, nothing more." Natalie eyes widened in surprise, and she searched his face for any indication that he was lying to her. Finding none, she sighed, sounding tired and defeated. "You two are going to be the death of me," said tiredly, rubbing her forehead with her index and middle fingers. "Why can't you just learn to get along?"

Bane chuckled at her weariness, his exposed, scarred lips curling up into a smile. He came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her to his chest. "There can be no true triumph in your life if you never have to make difficult choices little one," he remarked gently. "Your brother and I both love you, and want to keep you safe, although his idea of keeping you safe is drastically different than my own. That is why we do not get along. Neither of us can choose for you, though we may want to. You must make a choice little one, but that choice is yours, and yours alone."

Natalie turned around to face him, her gray blue eyes meeting his green ones, and her words betraying the need that she felt for him. "My life is with you now," she stated simply. "I will not leave you."

Bane's lips crashed down on hers, kissing her passionately. His hands made quick work of her clothing, and hers with his, as they began to explore each other's bodies by touch once again.

"You are mine," he growled in pleasure, as he laid her on the small air mattress, taking her once again as he had only a few nights previously. "And you are mine," she responded breathlessly, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and formed her body to his. There was to be little sleep for the two lovers on this night.

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Natalie left Bane later in the night to take her turn at watch. He was sleeping soundly, exhausted from their activities that evening. She threw on her black under armour v-neck t-shirt, camo pants, and cowboy boots that the men had brought for her. She silently walked over to the edge of the tunnel to relieve Alex, who was keeping watch. "I'm taking over," the rancher said tiredly, reaching for the gun that was propped up against the wall.

Natalie's eyes widened in surprise as she felt the cool steel of a knife against her throat. "You scream, I'll cut you," Alex warned, pushing the shocked woman against the wall opposite the gun. "Why are you doing this?" the rancher asked shakily, trying to stay calm.

The mercenary sneered, his dark eyes holding nothing but hatred. "When I was five, my parents told me that I was useless," he hissed, anger beginning to contort his features. "They locked me in a closet with a pack of rats, and left me to die. My own parents." His voice was dripping with anger, disgust, and panic as he continued. "After awhile, the rats got hungry and they started biting me. They were EATING me. If it hadn't of been for the neighbor, I would have died in there."

Alex paused for a moment, letting the tip of the knife cut into her skin for effect. "Now I'm in a sewer," he snarled bitterly. "There are rats everywhere, and it's your fault that we're down here."

Natalie said nothing. To speak now would only add fuel to the already unstable mercenary's fire. She slowly lifted her leg up, pulling it back against the wall, and up towards her hands. If she could get the knife from her boots, she would have a fighting chance.

Alex leaned in closer, his face almost touching hers. She turned her face away, disgusted that he was that close to her. The mercenary let out a shaky laugh at her reaction. "You find me repulsive, and yet you're fucking Bane, you little bitch," he growled. Natalie slowly pulled the knife from her boot, and began to flick the blade out, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"You know what I'm going to do?" he asked dangerously. The rancher met his eyes with her own steely gaze, refusing to let him intimidate her. "Let me guess. You want to play a game of Monopoly with me, is that right?" she spat defiantly. Alex laughed at her sarcasm. "No wonder the boss likes you so much," he snarled. "You have some fire in you. No, what we're going to do is so much more fun."

He leaned in close, placing his lips on her ear, and whispered to her. "First, I'm going to fuck you, just to spite the boss. Then I'm going to slit your throat and watch you drown in your own blood, while I tell the cops exactly where Bane is hiding out. I get off scot free, and your precious Bane gets to watch you die, and goes back to prison where he belongs." Alex's voice was low and dangerous as he brought his lips down onto her neck. "Scream for me little cobra," he muttered sarcastically as he began to kiss her.

Natalie drove the knife deep into his gut, causing the mercenary to cry out in pain, and jerk away from her. Alex swung his knife at her in blind rage, missing her neck by only a few inches. He reached back to swing again, but was knocked to the ground by a flash of black fur.

The black shepherd snarled menacingly as he dug his sharp canines into the mercenary's flesh, tearing into his arm first, and then moving up to his chest and neck. Alex screamed in pain, begging to die rather than be torn apart by the dog. Natalie whistled sharply, calling off Blackjack, who walked over to her and lay obediently at her feet.

The rancher kicked the bleeding man before her with the toe of her boot. "I'll let Bane deal with you, you bastard," she spat. "He would be angry with me if I didn't let him kill you himself."

By this time the other members of the League had heard the commotion, and had clamored over to see what was going on. Natalie filled them in quickly on what had happened, and after some argument, the men agreed not to kill him until Bane had a chance to deal with him. Luckily, their wait wasn't too terribly long.

Robbie finished the mask several hours later, and the League began to prepare for their hasty departure, as Natalie went to return the finished mask back to its owner. She affixed the mask on Bane, watching him breathe in deeply for several minutes, and sighed in relief when all traces of pain left his green eyes.

The pain was quickly replaced by anger however, when the rancher told him what had happened with Alex. The masked mercenary said nothing, but stormed out, finding the other mercenary in the main area of their hideout. He grabbed the Alex by the throat roughly, and lifted him up into the air.

"Do you know how many bones are in the human body?" he asked dangerously, his mechanical voice full of rage. The mercenary shook his head in fear. Bane continued to taunt him. "Let's find out shall we?" he growled. "I do not share what belongs to me. Natalie is mine. You spoke in an unacceptable manner to my woman, and you laid your hands on her, so now I am going to break every single bone in your body, and kill you slowly for your insolence."

Alex thrashed wildly in his grip, begging and pleading for mercy, but he received none. The masked mercenary started with his toes, and worked his way up to the mercenary's neck, snapping it with a sick satisfaction. All the while, his screams and cries could be heard for miles under the sewers, no doubt alerting the authorities above of their location.

Bane strutted among his men like an alpha wolf among his pack. He threw Alex's body to the ground unceremoniously, his silent threat reaching every man in the group. "We're leaving," he commanded. Everyone grabbed their belongings and they followed their leader into the darkness of the sewers, never looking back at the man who had once been their comrade.

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Thirty men from Gotham's police force found themselves in the sewers. They had heard screaming from down there, and they had come to check it out. After some time making their way through the tunnels, they found the hideout that Bane and his men had been using. They were gone, but one dead man remained, his entire body bruised and swollen. He appeared to have been stabbed, and there were bite marks covering the upper half of his body, as if some animal had torn into him.

"Hey you guys!" one of the cops shouted. "Look what I found!" In his hands was a neatly written note that had been sitting on top of the mini fridge. They took turns reading it. It said:

_To Gotham's Finest:_

_ I have eluded you yet again! I know how frustrating this must be for you, and I would never leave you empty handed. Do you enjoy fireworks? I certainly do, and I have been kind enough to leave you some of mine! _

_Best Wishes,_

_ Bane_

"Oh shit! Run!" one of the men shouted, but by the time they realized what was going on, it was too late. A loud boom was heard, followed swiftly by several others as the explosives detonated, bringing the streets above crashing down onto the cops, burying them beneath the city in a pile of rubble.

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John Blake sat back in his office at the police station. He had just made a call to an old friend. Gotham was in ruins, and the spirit of the people broken. They needed the Batman to rise above the ashes. He hated having to make that call, but if he wanted to save his city, he didn't have a choice.

John was contemplating his options for a plan of action, when a young man with dark hair walked into his office unannounced. The young man was clean-shaven, with black hair, brown eyes, and wore a suit. He could not have been more then twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old in the cop's estimation, and he was reminded of a very well dressed Hal Mason from Falling Skies.

The Hal lookalike practically threw his ID and credentials on John's desk, getting straight to the point. "Officer Blake," he said emotionlessly, in a tone that was strictly professional. "My name is Ned Stewart. I am an intelligence officer for the CIA. I am here in your office, because the CIA is taking jurisdiction from you on the Bane case. We will need all of your files, and any relevant information you might have on his current whereabouts."

Ned paused for a moment, noting that the cop looked as though he wanted to object. "This is not up for debate," he added quickly. "I have been charged with protecting this country from threats, both foreign and domestic. If you refuse to comply with my demands, then I will be forced to remove you from the equation, and possibly in a way that you would not approve of."

John merely nodded in acknowledgement of the authority of the man before him, knowing that he had no choice in the matter. Things had gotten way out of control.

**Duh duh duh…. Batman is going to make an appearance! And of course, this wouldn't be a proper Bane fanfic if I didn't take you down to his illustrious sewer lair! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Tell me what you think!**


	24. Chapter 24

**I just want to thank all of you for your continued support! This chapter was easier to write than the last, so hopefully it will be evident as you read lol. I don't really have much to say, so here's the chapter! Please read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 24

The trip back to their hideout outside of Gotham was uneventful. The cops were busy searching the city, investigating every possible hideout in the city for the band of mercenaries. They were also restricting the access of vehicles into and out of Gotham City, searching each one thoroughly for any stowaways.

Bane, Natalie, and the League made their way outside of the city by way of the sewer system. Once outside the city limits, they surfaced from underground, stealing two nondescript cars from a secluded parking lot. They dumped the cars several miles from their hideout, continuing the rest of the journey on foot until they reached their destination. They would no doubt have to move within a day or two, but for the time being, they were somewhat safe.

Dmitri informed the masked mercenary that one of their unmarked SUVs was overheating, and would need new parts before they could prep it for departure, so Bane and Barsad left together shortly after their arrival to get parts for the SUV, and a few other items that they would need. They left Natalie in charge of the League while they were gone.

The rancher's relationship with the men had been altered somewhat after her close call with Alex. She was more aloof around them now, trusting completely in only Bane and Robbie. Perhaps the difficult lesson that she had learned would prove beneficial in the future, saving her from further betrayal. She did not ignore the men by any means, but she was no longer as trusting of them as she had been previously.

Natalie spent most of her time while Bane and Barsad were gone, making more injectible pain medication for Bane, as they had virtually depleted their entire stock while his mask was being fixed. She kept Robbie close by while she was alone with the League, in case of an emergency, but she could tell that his mind was elsewhere.

The masked mercenary returned several hours later with Barsad in tow, accompanied by the parts needed to fix the SUV, and a few new toys of the lethal variety. Natalie noticed several new assault rifles, a bag full of grenades, some miniature explosives, and what appeared to be a heat seeing missile launcher, complete with an arsenal of shiny missiles.

The men of the League flocked to the weapons, sizing them up, and getting a feel for later use. While the mercenaries were still playing with their new toys, Bane made his way over to Robbie, gesturing for the young man to follow him outside.

Natalie was not quite sure what to make of his gesture, since the two men had never exactly been on friendly terms, and she could infer from the shocked and fearful look on her brother's face, that he was just as clueless as she was. Robbie was not an idiot however, and he knew that to refuse Bane's request would be madness on his part.

The young man reluctantly nodded his head in acknowledgement, and followed the masked mercenary to the door. One quick glance from Bane told Natalie that he wished to be alone with her brother, and she did not bother to follow them as they stepped outside, closing the door behind them.

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Bane was silent as they walked away from the house. The only sounds that could be heard were the faint hiss of his mask, and the light thud of Robbie's nervous steps behind him. No doubt the boy thought that he was taking him into the wooded area behind the house to kill him and bury his body, and that thought alone made the masked man chuckle to himself.

Once they had traveled far enough into the trees that they could not possibly be overheard, he turned to the young man behind him. "Why did you agree to fix my mask?" he asked bluntly, cutting to the chase. He had been confused by the boy's actions the day before, and he intended to know the reasoning behind them.

Robbie seemed taken aback by the directness of his question. He swallowed rapidly, pushing his shaggy, black hair away from his face that had grown pale with fear. Terror danced in his gray-blue eyes, and he took his time formulating an adequate response.

"I…uh…" he began slowly, weighing each word before he would allow it to escape his mouth. "Natalie told me what you did for her," Robbie said, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other, and finally found the courage to meet Bane's expectant gaze with his own. "She told me that you pulled her out of the car, and saved her from drowning. She said that you knew it would destroy your mask, and that you went after her anyways. That's why I agreed to fix it."

The masked mercenary nodded, acknowledging his response, and then spoke once more, a heavy tone underlying his words. "You're probably wondering why I have brought you out here today. My intentions are not merely to affirm your motives in assisting me. I have brought you here because there is something that I must ask of you."

Bane paced, somewhat unsteadily before the young man, deep in thought. "I am certain that you are aware of my feelings towards your sister," he began, a slight awkwardness to his mechanical voice. "She has chosen to stay with me, and it is my intention to make her life by my side a happy one. I do not wish for her to regret her decision to stay with me."

Robbie arched an eyebrow, clearly confused about where this conversation was going. Bane only gave him a few seconds to mull over his words before he continued. "I am not a man for traditions or emotional sentiments; however, it has come to my attention that normal people, or those not raised as I was, require certain proofs of loyalty from their partners, and an amount of stability in their lives. My loyalty, and my feelings for Natalie are unwavering, and I wish to prove that to her."

Robbie's eyes widened in shock, as the realization of what the mercenary was about to say, hit home. "I know that your custom dictates that I should speak with her father," Bane continued. "But since he is deceased, I am coming to you. I know that we have had our differences in the past, but I am asking you to put your dislike for me aside, and to give me your blessing. I intend to ask Natalie to marry me."

To say that Robbie was both shocked and horrified would be an understatement. A thousand different emotions and thoughts ran through his mind all at once, and his hands twitched slightly from the sensory overload. He found it difficult to focus on the mountain of a man before him, asking to marry his sister, asking to be…his brother. He resisted the urge to vomit, as Bane stared intently at him, awaiting a response. It was over. Natalie had chosen a cold-blooded killer over her own flesh and blood, and there was nothing that he could do to change her mind.

"And what if I refuse to give you my blessing?" the young man asked boldly, a cold sweat forming over his brow. Bane chucked to himself, the sound slightly eerie coming from his mask. "Then I intend to have her for my own all the same," he responded truthfully. "I will take her with or without your approval for as long as she will have me. My request is merely a pleasantry, as I know that she would want your blessing."

Robbie shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "Then I guess you win Bane. Don't you always win anyways?" he said tiredly. "You have my blessing, since there's nothing that I can do about it anyways." He turned around, walking away from the masked mercenary, and back towards the house. He would buy a plane ticket to Dallas tonight, and have Barsad drive him to the airport in the morning. It was past time for him to go home anyways.

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Bruce and Selina's plane touched down in Gotham after a long and tedious flight from Italy. Neither one of them was happy about being back in town, but after the call that Bruce had received from John Blake, he knew that he would have to come back. Gotham needed Batman, and he couldn't just walk away from his responsibilities. Selina had not agreed with his call on coming back, but she refused to let him go on his own, so she had accompanied him also.

They had both changed a lot since they had left the city. Bruce was more carefree and happy now. He had his life back, and something to live for. Selina had developed a sense of loyalty towards the billionaire. She felt as though Bruce was her family now, and he gave her a feeling of home and belonging that she had never experienced with anyone else. They were both good for each other, and their relationship was no longer one of mere convenience.

As they stepped off the plane and looked around, it was immediately apparent why John had called. Gotham was in ruins. Half of the streets had caved in, creating giant asphalt pits in the middle of the city, causing wrecks in every direction. Glass, metal, and shrapnel lay helter-skelter across the expanse of the city, and people were afraid to leave their homes. Windows on residences were boarded up, and no one traveled anywhere without a weapon of some kind.

Alfred was waiting for them outside of the landing strip, and judging by the grave look on his face, Bruce knew that things were even more serious than they looked. As they walked towards the limo waiting for them at the end of the tarmac, the old butler filled them in on everything that had happened in their absence.

The majority of Gotham's police force was dead, the CIA was in town, all of Gotham's officials had been executed, and Bruce's mansion was now a stylish pile of rubble. Gotham's Reckoning had returned with a vengeance, and the city needed Batman now, more than ever before.

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For the twelfth time that day, Bane pulled the diamond ring out of his pocket, studying it. It was absolutely stunning. The metal was white gold, and there were three large princess cut diamonds affixed on it. The one in the middle was the largest, with two smaller diamonds set on either side.

He played with it absentmindedly, wondering, not for the first time that day, if this gesture of his loyalty would please Natalie. The masked mercenary slid the ring back into his pocket. He would wait for the proper time to ask her.

As Bane walked into the room that they shared, he saw Natalie sitting on their bed, looking upset. She threw him a glance, and sighed deeply. "Robbie's leaving," she remarked bitterly. "Did you tell him to go?" Bane came to stand in front of her, gently placing his hand under her chin, and tilting it up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"No," he answered honestly. "I would not do that to you. Your brother and I were just exchanging witty banter, and brownie recipes." Natalie cracked a grin at his attempt at humor, and swatted his arm playfully with her own. "Your jokes are horrible," she said, grinning. Bane chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and spoke once again. "Your brother has come to the realization that you have chosen to stay with me, and he is now making a choice of his own. He does not belong here with the League. You know this to be true."

Natalie sighed once again, leaning into his touch. "You will see him again," the masked mercenary promised, his voice soft and gentle. "I will be taking you home soon." She smiled once again, happiness and love for him lighting up her eyes, at the thought of showing him her home, and she reached out for him arm, gently this time, and placed her small hand on his bicep.

"Bane, I…" the rancher began, but her words were cut short, as they both noticed a red dot traveling up her body, and coming to rest on her forehead.

Bane moved faster than Natalie did, throwing his arms around her, and shoving her to the ground, as the glass to the window in their room shattered, and a bullet whizzed over their heads. They slammed to the ground, Bane wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her into his chest for protection, as more bullets flew past them.

"Go!" he shouted, and together they crawled across the floor, staying low to the ground, as shot after shot rang out. Smoke filled the air around them, as a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window, setting their room on fire. Bane and Natalie crawled as quickly as they could, out of their room, and into the main area of the house. Smoke and flames surrounded them, and they could hear the men of the League shouting, loading their weapons, and readying themselves for a counter strike.

Barsad and Robbie found their way to them beneath the smoke, Blackjack trailing behind them, and Bane instantly gave his second in command something to do. "Take Natalie," he commanded the mercenary, his mechanical voice a fierce growl. "Get her out of here, and do not let her leave your sight." Barsad nodded. The rancher was about to argue, but a sharp look from Bane told her that this call was not up for debate.

"Get the men ready and out front. If these bastards want a fight, then we shall give them one that they will never forget." Barsad nodded once again, motioning for Natalie to follow him as he turned around, and began crawling towards the back door.

She crawled over to Bane, and kissed him lightly, right above his mask. "Come back to me," she commanded him, the stubborn tone in her voice causing the masked mercenary to chuckle. "Always," he replied nonchalantly. "You too Robbie," she added to her brother. The young man nodded in assent, putting her fears somewhat at rest. The rancher began to follow Barsad, ordering the black shepherd to stay with Bane, and protect him. The notion seemed silly to him, but if it would make her feel better, then her would allow the dog to tag along with him.

Once he was certain that Natalie had made it out the back door with Barsad, he turned his attention to his own predicament. "I'm fighting with you," Robbie stated determinedly. Bane nodded in acknowledgement, and together they began to look for the other men, so that they could strike back as a team.

They found the League fairly quickly, and armed themselves with several weapons, including two assault rifles, some frag grenades, and the missile launcher. Together they all made their way outside the front door, firing their weapons the second they stepped outside Bullets flew past their heads as they exchanged fire with their attackers.

There were quite a few of them, all dressed head to toe in bulletproof armor, attacking from behind a massive steel plated van. They were taking shots, and then ducking back behind the van for protection. Whoever they were, it was obvious that they were no ordinary cops. These guys were professionals. If they wanted to take them out without losing every single one of their men, then they would have to be smarter than their adversaries.

Bane gave orders for the men to split up, each moving around their attackers to surround them on all sides. Dmitri was going to move in on the left side, and Nikolai was going to take the right. Red would stay where he was, and Bane and Robbie would move in from behind, giving them nowhere to run.

They all started moving, picking off their attackers as they traveled. Robbie stayed close to Bane, trying not to get hit, while occasionally squeezing off a shot of his own. Several men ran towards them, guns raised, only to be taken down by Blackjack before they could reach their intended targets. The surprise on their faces, and their screams of agony as the dog ripped open their throats was priceless. They had not expected to be attacked by the shepherd. Bane grinned. Perhaps taking the dog had not been such a bad idea after all.

Bane and Robbie arrived behind the van of attackers with little to no damage to themselves, and began to aggressively pick off the men one at a time with their assault rifles. The men behind the van returned fire, but they were surrounded from all sides now, and their numbers began to quickly diminish. The masked mercenary and his young partner were about to breathe a sigh of relief, when they heard a rustle in the woods behind them.

Blackjack growled low in his throat, and positioned himself between the two men and the trees. He cocked his head to all sides, flattening his ears, and snarled viciously at the source of the noise. Suddenly, noise could be heard from all sides. They were surrounded. The bastards had played the same trick on them, that they had just used. Bane motioned to Robbie, and the two men stood back to back, their weapons raised, in order to protect each other against the coming onslaught.

Shots rang out as the men hiding in the woods began to fire on them. Bane and Robbie fired back, doing their best to dodge the bullets, and still protect each other. The masked mercenary took down three of the men quickly, as a bullet grazed his shoulder, barely missing his heart.

One man lunged towards him quickly, evading his shots, only to be brought down, and torn apart by the black shepherd for coming too close to Bane. Robbie took down two men on his own, before a bullet ripped through his gut. He fell to the ground, managing to shoot one more man in the process.

Bane ripped the pin out of one of the frag grenades, throwing it at their attackers. He growled in pleasure as the woods around them burst into flames at the onset of the explosion, and their adversaries screamed in agony as they were blown to bits. Once the immediate threat was taken care of, the masked mercenary turned his attention to his fallen comrade.

The wound was bad. There was no denying that. Robbie lay on the ground in a pool of blood, trying to hold in his intestines. The bullet that ripped through him had been a hollow point, and the damage that it had caused was monstrous. The young man was bleeding out quickly, and it was doubtful that he could survive, even if he received immediate medical attention.

Robbie seemed to know that he was a lost cause, and his final moments were upon him. He relaxed, scooting his body towards the closest tree, and leaning up against it. He made himself comfortable, and motioned Bane to sit beside him. The masked mercenary sat next to him on the ground, sadness in his eyes, knowing that the young man beside him would not survive this day. He could hear vehicles approaching, and knew that he would have to move soon, but for now, he sat with him in silence.

After a few moments of silence together, with only the faint hiss of Bane's mask, and Robbie's ragged breathing to be heard, the young man finally spoke. "When I was nine and Natalie was twelve," he began quietly. "Our mom got cancer. She was too sick to get out of bed for almost a year, and we honestly thought that she was going to die."

His voice dropped to a whisper, and Bane had to lean in to hear his words. "Our dad was never home. He worked all the time, so Natalie was all that I had. She was only a few years older than me, but she stepped up, and raised me while our mom was sick. She gave up everything, friends, hobbies, sports, everything to make sure that I was fed and taken care of. Natalie sacrificed a lot for me, and now it's my turn to sacrifice for her."

The sounds of the approaching vehicles became louder. They were running out of time for this conversation. Robbie pushed himself up into a taller sitting position, and met Bane's gaze with his own. For once, there was no fear in his eyes, only determination.

"You're not the man that I wanted for her," he continued. "But you are the man that she has chosen, and I will respect her decision, even if I don't agree with it. I give you my blessing wholeheartedly." Bane's brow furrowed in surprise at his words. He had never expected this.

"Leave me," Robbie said urgently. "I'll hold them off. You go and take care of my sister, and if you let anything happen to her, I'll come back from the grave and strangle you with my bare hands." He grinned as best he could, trying to be optimistic. Bane merely laughed at his tenacity, even near death. He reminded the mercenary so much of his Natalie in this moment, full of life and spirited.

"I will not let anyone hurt her," he vowed to Robbie, while handing him the missile launcher that he had saved from the fire. "Good," the young man responded. "Now leave me. I'll kill the bastards and buy you guys some time." He cocked a small missile into place in the launcher, and glared at the mercenary next to him.

Bane was reluctant to leave, but he saw wisdom in the dying man's words, and there was nothing that he could do to save him. He had already lost too much blood. "Good luck brother," Robbie said solemnly. The masked mercenary nodded, and turned around, heading back towards the house, with Blackjack hot on his heels, leaving him behind.

As he was running away, he could hear Robbie's voice shouting, "Come and get some you bastards!" over the roar of gun fire. He heard the thud of the missile launcher, followed a loud explosion, and the fall of flaming debris around him. The masked mercenary was aware of a vehicle headed his way, and raised his weapon, ready to fire.

Barsad drove the Jeep right in front of him, squealing the mud grip tires as he stopped, and shouted at him to get in. Bane jumped into the backseat, with the black shepherd following him into the car. "The other guys are going to meet us at the safe house," Barsad said matter of factly.

Natalie, who was already in the Jeep, began to treat his shoulder wound. He looked her over intently, making sure that she had sustained no injuries. Satisfied that she was unharmed, he relaxed to her touch on his wounds. She patched him up as best as she could, and then asked him the question that he had been dreading the second that he had stepped into the Jeep.

"Where's Robbie?" she asked. Bane met her expectant gaze, a sadness and deep regret in his green eyes. "He's gone little one," he said softly. "I am sorry. There was nothing that I could do for him." Tears began to fill her beautiful gray-blue eyes, as a piece of her was ripped away by the loss of her brother.

Bane extended his hand to her, intending to pull her into his arms, but she pushed him away, refusing to look into his eyes. The tears began to fall, and she wrapped her arms around her legs, burying her face so Bane could not see her cry. "This is all my fault," she whispered, softly enough that only the masked mercenary heard her.

Barsad continued to drive towards their other safe house, knowing that they would be on the road for some time, which was fine, because they needed to get as far away from Gotham as possible.

Bane watched Natalie, unable to comfort her at this time, and wondered to himself about the identity of their attackers today. One thing was for sure. They were being hunted.

**I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I mostly wanted to write this one to kind of show an ending to the conflict between Bane and Robbie, although Natalie has now lost the second most important person in her life besides Bane. And they got away again! But their luck has to run out sometime right? Anyways… As always tell me what you think! I love to hear from you! Let's let all the people who haven't read this story know what they're missing out on!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hi everyone! We have hit over 100 reviews for this story! I can't express to you how amazing you guys are, and how much I appreciate all of your support throughout this story! Ya'll are my inspiration, and I would have given up on this story a long time ago if it wasn't for you guys! **

**To Guest: You are nameless, but I would just like to say that I think you are awesome! Thanks for the review!**

**A quick not on this chapter: It's a little bit shorter, but I think you'll like it. I had to go with the best stopping place, and this was it, so sorry if you're disappointed it wasn't longer! Also, I will be going back to work next week, so my updates will be less frequent, but I promise that I will update when I can, and I promise that I WILL finish this story. You have my word. With that being said, read, review, and enjoy the chapter!**

**Just in case you guys forgot, I don't own Bane, Batman, or any other recognizable characters in this story. I wish I owned Bane, but I don't (sigh). I only own Natalie, my other OCs, and the plot.**

Chapter 25

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally arrived at their destination. Their safe house was a small A-frame cabin, nestled snugly in the side of Tennessee's Smokey Mountains. Red, Dmitri, and Nikolai met them at the cabin, all looking worse for the wear, but all still alive. As Barsad began to unload what few belongings that they had managed to save from the fire, Bane carried a lifeless Natalie into the cabin.

She had been in a catatonic like state ever since she had learned of her brother's death. The rancher had spoken to no one, and had stared out the window, unmoving for their entire trip.

To say that Bane was worried about her was an understatement, but he could not bring Robbie back from the grave, and for the first time in his life, he felt completely and utterly helpless. There was absolutely nothing that he could do for her, so he would not push her. He would simply allow her to withdraw into her own thoughts, and she would speak to him again when she was ready.

Once they were unloaded and moved in, the band of mercenaries began to discuss who had attacked them, and possible motives for the attack. It was important that they knew who their adversaries were, so they could be ready for the next attack.

Bane knew one thing for certain about the men that had attacked them. They were professionals, and they would not stop hunting the mercenaries. There was no question of if, but when, and how they would attack again. If those men were as professional as they seemed, it would only be a matter of time before they found the band of mercenaries once again, and they all needed to be prepared.

The masked mercenary gave orders to the men to go into town and buy more weapons, and to work on setting a perimeter defense system into place. In a few days, they would be ready for any attack. Whoever their adversaries were, they would be ready for them this time. There would be no more running. They were going to fight.

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John was back at the police station once again, enjoying the show. Ned's usually composed face was growing redder by the second, as his men filled him in on what happened with Bane and the League. He chuckled in amusement as the CIA agents cowered in fear before a man half their age.

Ned clenched his fists in anger, and spoke sharply to the men before him. "You had ONE job!" he growled. "Take the mercenary alive, and kill the girl, but somehow, you idiots managed to ruin our element of surprise, and you have nothing to show for it." The CIA officer was inches away from his men now, glaring daggers at each and every one of them for their incompetence.

"And who was the genius that shot Bane anyways?" he spat. "He better be glad that he's dead, because if he was standing before me today, I would kill him myself. What about taking him alive is so difficult for you to understand? Failure is not acceptable gentlemen." Ned crossed his arms over his chest; glaring his men down with such fury that it was a miracle they didn't piss their pants in fear.

"Now," he growled once again, his anger evident in every syllable. "Get off your worthless asses, and bring me Bane's location. You have twenty four hours." The CIA agents didn't have to be told twice. They moved more quickly than John had thought possible, each desperate to escape the wrath of their boss.

Ned made his way over to John, pulling a small flask from the inside pocket of his jacket, and taking a long drink. "I'm surrounded by fucking idiots," he stated bluntly. "Surely your men couldn't possibly be as stupid as mine." John laughed, relaxing for the first time in the presence of the CIA officer. "You would be surprised," he responded honestly. Ned snorted in retort. "Then all hope for mankind is lost." To this comment, John laughed even harder.

The two men worked together, going over Bane's files, and talking strategy for some time after that. John was surprised to learn that Natalie was working with the mercenary. He had remembered her from the party, but he had to hide his surprise as Ned showed him her file as well. For the first time there was an air of familiarity and comfort between the two men, and they talked strategy, and common interest until late in the night.

The next morning, one of the CIA agents came in with new on the mercenaries' whereabouts. A man in Gatlinburg had seen a Jeep with a masked man in the back seat stop at a local gas station. The general consensus was that the mercenaries were hiding out in the mountains somewhere.

"Ready all of our weapons and equipment," Ned commanded his men. "And get the chopper ready for me. We leave first thing tomorrow morning. If you want something done, you have to do it yourself apparently." He sighed loudly in frustration, and then snapped his fingers as he remembered John. "Blake!" he shouted. The cop turned to him, surprise written on his face. "Get your gear together. You're coming with me."

John grinned, happy to be included in the strike. "Yes sir," he said enthusiastically. He had a phone call to make, and few plans of his own to ready himself for.

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Bruce and Selina suited up, each arming themselves, and getting ready for the inevitable fight that was ahead of them. John Blake had called Bruce, giving him Bane's current location. The plan was for Batman to go in, and capture Bane, minimizing civilian and police causalities.

Bruce had intended to go alone, but Selina would not allow it. She had insisted on going with him. After much argument, Selina's strong will finally broke Bruce, and he had to agree to her terms. The fight ahead would be difficult, and he might need her help.

Together, they finished packing their weapons and gear, and took off in the Tumbler. Tennessee was a long drive, and it was imperative that they beat Ned and his men there.

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Two days had passed since Natalie had spoken to anyone. She had sat on the edge of the bed, with Blackjack never leaving her side, and stared off into space. She had refused to eat or sleep since they had arrived at the cabin. Bane was respectful of her silence, and did not try to force her to speak to him, although he missed her smile, and the warmth of her body at night far more than he cared to admit.

On the second day at the cabin, the masked mercenary sent Barsad, Dmitri, and Red into town to gather supplies that they needed to finish the perimeter security system. He remained at the cabin with Natalie and Nikolai.

Bane went into their room to check on Natalie that day, and was pleasantly surprised to see that she made eye contact with him as he walked in the door. "Hey," she whispered, smiling gently. The masked mercenary's heart melted at her smile, and his eyes crinkled up into a smile of his own. She was back.

He sat down beside her, and she leaned into him immediately. Bane pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly; for fear that he would lose her again. Watching Natalie deal with the death of her brother had not been easy for him. He nuzzled his mask in her hair, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the quiet rise and fall of her chest against his. He had missed her terribly.

After a few minutes, Natalie reluctantly pulled away from him. "We need to talk," she stated bluntly, a thousand different emotions playing across her features. "Away from here," she continued, gesturing towards the living room, where Nikolai was watching TV. Bane nodded in acknowledgement, and together they headed outside, with the black shepherd following behind them.

Once they were clear of the cabin, and safely out of hearing distance, Natalie spoke freely to him. "Robbie's death was my fault," she began bluntly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "We were ambushed little one," Bane replied matter of factly, trying to relieve her of her guilt in the matter. "His death had nothing to do with you."

The masked mercenary leaned against the nearest tree, crossing his massive arms over his chest, his brow furrowed in concern for her. Natalie's eyes roamed freely over his muscular body, memories of how he felt on top of her surfacing in the forefront of her mind. She needed him so badly, but regardless of her feelings, she knew that a difficult topic must be broached with him, and it needed to be done now.

She could no longer live with herself, and something had to give. She hoped that her relationship with Bane would not change as a result of her actions, but it was a risk that she would have to take.

"It IS my fault that Robbie is dead," Natalie insisted. "He would not have been there if it wasn't for me. I have become ruthless and cruel, and my brother has paid the ultimate price for my sins. If I should choose to continue along the same path, he will not be the only one."

Bane cocked an eyebrow at her, curious as to where she was going with this. Natalie took a deep breath, meeting his gaze with her own, and continued. "I am not Talia," she remarked defiantly. "I will not allow hatred to consume me, and I will not ask you to die, so that I can satisfy my foolish pride, and need for revenge. You deserve better than that, and I will not ask it of you."

The masked mercenary was startled by her words. He had expected her to come to him asking for his help in seeking vengeance as Talia had. The rancher came to stand before him, touching his arm gently with her small hand.

"I love you," she said softly. "But I cannot bear to watch you die, and I cannot live this life anymore. I want to go home, and I'm asking you to come with me. If you cannot leave this life I understand, but I don't want to live like this anymore."

Bane was silent. He knew what she was asking of him, and he was conflicted. Death and destruction had ruled his entire life, and he was not sure that he could let that go, regardless of how much he loved her. He growled in frustration at the choice presented to him, but he was not the only one growling.

Blackjack's ears were pinned back against his head, and the hair on the nape of his neck stood up, as he growled low in his chest. Someone was stalking the couple. Bane motioned for Natalie to stay behind him, and he began inching towards the source of the dog's warning growl.

"Give it up Bane!" a gravelly voice resounded throughout the side of the mountain. A dark shadow stepped out revealing Batman. He was dressed head to toe in black armor, complete with a cape and a cowl, and he looked determined to take Bane in. Behind him came Catwoman. She was dressed in black leather and heels, with binoculars on her head that also served as ears to complete her costume. She wore a thin strip of black material as a mask over her eyes, and her silky, chocolate brown hair hung freely down her back.

Bane laughed at the sight of them, excitement lighting up his eyes at the prospect of a good fight. "Well if it isn't the Batman," he smirked. "Come to have your body broken once again I see."

Batman threw two smoke bombs in their direction, which went off immediately, obscuring their view. Natalie could not see more than a foot in front of her, but Bane seemed unphased by the ruse. He kept his body firmly between her and their adversaries, intending to keep her out of the fray.

"Come now Batman," he taunted. "Don't you want to come out of hiding, and play with me?" His query was met with a fist to the face, as Batman used the smokescreen to his advantage. The masked mercenary merely laughed, and grabbed the dark knight's fist as he tried to strike again.

Natalie could hear bones snapping as he began to apply pressure, but he let off just before breaking Batman's wrist, and delivered a sharp blow to his face instead, knocking him back in pain. Bane was not quite ready to break him yet. He wanted to have a little fun with him first.

The smoke began to lift somewhat, and Natalie noticed Catwoman trying to sneak up behind Bane, to help the Bat. Before she could process what she was doing, she was on the other woman, kicking her legs out from underneath her before she had a chance to attack the masked mercenary.

Catwoman fell to the ground, looking somewhat startled by Natalie's ferocity. She quickly got to her feet, and all thoughts of the men fighting next to her were forgotten as the rancher smirked, taunting her.

The cat burglar attacked, moving at lightning speed, and engaging in combat with the other woman. Catwoman was faster, but Natalie was stronger, and their fight was a match up of speed vs. strength. They both threw punches at each other, each dodging the other's strikes with fluid, easy movements.

Catwoman moved about wildly, dodging, punching, and jumping. Natalie stayed as stationary as she possibly could, throwing punches, and dodging the ones that came her way. There was no way that she could beat the limber cat burglar in a match of grace and agility, but if she could just get a hold on her, then she could win this fight with sheer strength alone.

The rancher waited patiently, taking a few punches, but dodging most, until the other woman made a critical mistake. She misstepped, giving Natalie the extra second that she needed to turn the tide of their fight. Natalie swung her left fist, hitting Catwoman in the gut, and at the same time, she brought up her right fist, and made hard contact with the cat burglar's nose.

The sharp crack of bone pleased the rancher, and she knew that the upper hand belonged to her now. Natalie swung her left fist once again, putting all of her power behind the swing, and made contact with the side of Catwoman's head, knocking her to the ground easily. It was all over from there.

Blackjack positioned himself over the cat burglar's beaten body, snarling viciously. Fear danced in Catwoman's eyes, and Natalie chuckled in amusement. "What's wrong Cat?" she asked, taunting the other woman. "Are you frightened of dogs?" The rancher commanded the black shepherd to keep her pinned to the ground, and then she turned her attention to Bane and Batman.

The two men had both been throwing punches at each other. Some of the punches made their marks, and others were dodged. Batman kept aiming his strikes for the mercenary's mask, but Bane was better prepared for that move this time, not allowing any of his punches to make contact with the mask.

Eventually, Bane grew tired of sparring with the dark knight, and decided to end their fight. He caught Batman's fist as he threw the next punch, and twisted it, causing the other man to cry out in pain. The masked mercenary punched him, hard, in the face with his free hand, knocking him off balance. Batman began to fall, but Bane caught him by the neck in one of his massive hands, lifting the dark knight high above his head.

"And now my dear Batman," he purred with pleasure, his mask making the sound slightly eerie and menacing. "I will break your body." He lifted the other man up, ready to slam him down on his knee, but was stopped as the wind picked up around them at an alarming rate. A loud whirring noise filled the air, and reverberated off the mountainside.

A helicopter rose up from the side of the mountain, with a grinning Ned hanging out the door, holding a gun of some sort. Before they had a chance to react, the CIA officer fired on them. Bane and Batman were both hit with some sort of dart.

Bane gave all of his attention to Natalie. "Run!" he shouted to her, his voice sounding thick and tired. He collapsed almost immediately, with Batman falling next to him. He did not get up. Natalie screamed his name, tears streaming down her face, but he never moved, not even an inch.

Ned and the other men in the helicopter traded the dart guns out for assault rifles, and jumped out onto the ground. They aimed at Natalie, and she ran, just as Bane had told her to do, with Blackjack hot on her heels. Shots rang out as she dodged bullet after bullet, zigzagging as she ran to make herself a harder target to hit. She ran past the cabin, and into the trees beyond, desperately looking for somewhere to hide.

Natalie slammed into something hard in her haste to get away from her pursuers, and her eyes shot open in surprise as that something placed a hand over her mouth. Nikolai pulled her to him, shushing her. "Do not worry little Cobra," he said, his thickly accented voice trying to soothe her. "I will not let them hurt you."

Natalie relaxed some, and once he was sure that she was calm enough to stay quiet, he released his grip on her, and moved boldly towards the CIA agents. "Nikolai!" she whispered loudly, desperately trying to get him to come back. The Russian merely shook his head sadly, and moved towards the sound of the approaching footsteps.

Natalie watched in horror as Nikolai ran out from the trees, shooting down men as he ran. She saw five men fall before the Russian's body was littered with bullets. Blood sprayed out from his exit wounds, and he fell at an awkward angle, sprawled across the ground. One of the men chasing her walked up to the dead mercenary, and put a bullet in his head for good measure. Natalie covered her mouth with her hand to avoid screaming as she watched Nikolai bleed out right in front of her.

She had to keep moving, she would be no good to Bane or anyone else if she were dead. The rancher ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Behind her, she heard the sound of men rustling through the trees, looking for her. One sound was fairly close, and Blackjack lunged, sinking his teeth into the neck of their pursuer. Natalie had to keep moving. She ran, leaving the black shepherd to kill his target, and looked back to see how close the others were.

While she was busy focusing on the men behind her, she slammed into someone in front of her. John Blake grabbed her wrists in one hand, and shoved a cloth to her face with the other. Natalie tried not to breathe, but was unsuccessful, as the surprise of what was happening forced her to intake a sharp breath.

The smell of chloroform filled her senses, and the last thing that Natalie saw as the darkness overtook her, was John, inserting a needle into her skin, and emptying the contents of a syringe into her bloodstream.

**Sorry it was a little bit shorter, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways. Please let me know what you think! I love hearing from you guys, and even if you hated it, tell me about it! I can never become a better writer unless someone tells me what I need to change. Of course, if you love it, those comments are welcome too lol.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hi everyone… Sorry it's been so long… (hangs head in disgrace, and slinks away). Yeah… I wanted to get this chapter up sooner, but work has just been ridiculous. I would go into detail, but it's way too much, and you guys wouldn't want to listen to me ramble anyway. So, sorry for the wait…**

**A quick note on this chapter: I don't love it. I feel like it's too slow, but I had to set things up for what happens next, so just bear with me. I promise you action in the next chapter. At one point while writing this, I got frustrated with myself and literally threw my notebook on the floor, and took a nap at my desk… Yeah, I'm ashamed to say, but I totally did that… Anyways, hang in there with me, because I promise it will get better.**

**To Manna: I'm so glad that you enjoy the story! I hope that I can continue to meet your expectations, and the expectations of all of my readers! Thank you for reading and commenting!**

**As always, read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 26

Bane awoke in a white room. The lights were unusually bright, giving him a headache the instant that he opened his eyes, and the entire room had the look and feel of a hospital. He was lying on a flat, gurney-like bed, and he snorted in annoyance as he realized that he was handcuffed to the bed's side railing.

The masked mercenary lay there for a moment, taking in his surroundings, and contemplating a plan of action. From his vantage point, he could only see one door leading out of the room, and it looked sturdy, and heavily guarded. He could hear men's voices on the other side of the door, and it sounded like there were quite a few of them out there.

Just as he was about to calculate his odds of escape, the door swung open, and two men in bulletproof vests walked in, chatting about their weekend conquests. Their idle chatter ceased however, as soon as they noted that Bane was awake. He could hear the sharp intake of their breaths in surprise for a moment, but the men recovered from their shock quickly.

"Good morning sunshine," one of the men drawled sarcastically. Bane shot him a glare in return, and then asked him the question that had been most prominent in his mind since he had awoken.

"Where is Natalie?" he growled, his mechanical voice making it clear that he expected an answer, and quickly. The man that had referred to him as sunshine, only moments before, grinned, looking at his partner, and then turned his attention back to the mercenary before him.

"Your girlfriend's dead," the mouthy guard stated smugly. "The boss checked her himself. She had no pulse, and she wasn't breathing. Pity, really. She was good looking. Would have been a good time for all of us here."

The man never got to finish his thought. Bane moved faster than either guard could have thought possible. He stood up from the bed immediately, breaking free of his handcuffs in one swift motion. Bane was dizzy, and unsteady in his movements, but sheer determination drove him as he began to rip the two guards apart with his bare hands.

He grabbed the mouthy guard by the neck, ignoring his screams, and bashed his head repeatedly into the wall, while simultaneously breaking both of the guard's arms with his free hand. "You will suffer the same fate that you gave to her," Bane snarled. Thick blood ran down the man's face, and colored the white tile floor, but the masked mercenary never stopped until the man's screams ceased, and his body went limp.

The other guard tried to run, but he wasn't fast enough. Bane grabbed his vest, pulling him back, and snapped his neck in one swift motion. He began to make a beeline for the door, but was met with a third guard, who had heard the commotion, and had come in the room to check it out. The guard quickly shot him with a tranquilizer gun, before he could reach the door.

The masked mercenary managed to snap guard number three's neck, before his eyes became heavy, and he fell to the floor.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jeff Bridger and Ned Stewart watched the altercation between Bane and the guards on one of the monitors in the older man's office. "Magnificent," Jeff murmured, as he watched the masked mercenary tear his men apart.

Ned snorted in response. "Magnificent is hardly the word that I would use sir," he scoffed. "We ought to put a bullet in his head and be done with it. What do you plan on doing with him anyways? And what about Batman?" The younger man was genuinely curious. His boss had told him virtually nothing about the fate of the two men that he had captured. In his line of work, the less you knew, the better, but he couldn't help but wonder this time.

Jeff grinned widely at his young partner, and for the first time since Ned had known him, the older man looked less his age. His face was lit up in pure joy, offsetting his salt and pepper beard and close cropped hair. He looked much younger than his fifty years in that moment.

"We're going to keep Batman under lock, so that he won't get in the way, but as for Bane, he's the real prize," Jeff began, still grinning widely, with an air of madness about him. "Russia and China are becoming more powerful by the day. The U.S. is facing another Cold War, and this one may not end as peacefully as the last. We need an ace in the hole, and Bane is that ace."

Ned arched a brow in confusion, unsure of where this conversation was going. "I am going to use him to create an army of super soldiers," Jeff continued. "I will use his DNA, inserted into the plasmids of some of our soldiers, to bioengineer an army of our men, making them all have his size and strength. Then I will figure out how to make his pain medication, and mix that with a high dosage of steroids. Together these two drugs would make the user stronger, and impervious to pain. We would in essence, perfect the super soldier."

The older man paused for a moment, grinning in triumph, but his associate could tell that he was not finished talking. "After we create an army, we can end the nuclear arms war once and for all," Jeff stated simply. "We strike with our nuclear weapons, and then we send in our army to clean up the rest. Russia and China will both be destroyed, and the U.S. will have nothing to fear."

Ned stared at his boss, dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to speak, thought better of it, and stopped to weigh his words carefully. When he finally did speak, his voice was barely above a whisper. "What you propose is madness," he said carefully. "You'll start a world war. I strongly advise you to reconsider, as this is not in the best interest of our country."

Jeff looked at his young associate, amused with his response, and chuckled to himself. "You are too young to remember Ned," he said sadly, shaking his head. "America used to be the most powerful country in the world. I'm simply trying to put us in that position once again. With fear comes power, and with power comes security."

Ned shook his head, refusing to validate his boss' intentions. "I'm going to have Bane's memory wiped," Jeff said, suddenly changing the subject. "If you want to keep your job, make sure that he has no personal belongings on him. Even something small could potentially trigger his memories, and we don't want that. I can't afford to lose any more men to his anger," he commented absentmindedly.

Ned nodded, and walked away, his boss' unsettling words still ringing in his head. Should he continue with his current plan, a world war would be inevitable.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Natalie awoke with a splitting headache. She sat up, taking in her surroundings. She was in a bed with plain, cotton sheets. The room she was in was small, and the walls were painted an off white color. There was a small window next to the bed, and she could see Gotham city in the backdrop.

Okay, so she was back in Gotham. How did she get here? And what happened? Natalie mentally walked through the events that she could remember. Batman and Catwoman fighting them, Bane being shot down by the men in the helicopter, running, Nikolai dying to protect her, and John Blake. As the last thought ran through her head, the door to the room opened, and John walked in.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Natalie murmured to herself. John ignored her comment, or didn't hear it; the rancher was not sure which. "Are you hungry?" he asked, concern thick in his tone. Natalie glared at him, and shook her head defiantly. She was not about to accept food from a man who had drugged her.

'Where's Bane?" she demanded instantly. John sighed in exhaustion. "He's gone," he remarked tiredly. "There's nothing you can do to get him back. He belongs to the CIA now." The rancher's glare turned colder at his response. "Why am I here?" she asked sharply.

"I brought you here," John began. "You can trust me. I only want to help you." Natalie snorted in disbelief. "Help me?" she snarled. "How exactly are you going to help me? By drugging me?" The rancher lunged to her feet, only to find that her legs weren't moving very well. She fell to the floor with a resounding thud, cursing with every breath.

"It's the botulinum toxin that I injected you with," John stated calmly. "It saved your life, but the paralysis takes some time to wear off." Natalie merely glared at him. "No shit," she growled angrily from her position on the floor. "I didn't need your help"

The young cop laughed at her stubbornness. "Oh yes," he remarked sarcastically. "Since you were doing so well on your own." He continued to laugh, and offered her a hand, which she refused, as she tried to pull herself off of the floor, using the bed next to her. John sighed in defeat. "Are you always this stubborn?" he asked her, both amused, and annoyed by her antics.

Judging from the steely glare that Natalie gave him, he judged the answer to be yes. She growled in frustration as her efforts to get to her feet were unsuccessful, and after a few minutes of failed attempts, she finally turned her attention to John.

"You say that you saved my life?" she questioned him dubiously. "The injection of botulinum toxin would put me in a coma-like state, and make the men hunting me believe that I was dead. I know that. What I don't know is why. Why did you do it?"

John took in a deep breath, and gave some thought to his words before speaking. "I saved you because I believe that there is some good left in you," he replied carefully, weighing each word with intense scrutiny. "Alfred told me that you saved his life at the fundraiser by sending him on a pointless errand. You're not heartless. If you were, you would have let him die with the others, but you didn't. You're not like HIM, and I couldn't let them gun you down, so I did what I felt was right."

Natalie's face showed unadulterated shock at his confession. She had not expected the answer that she had received. John waited patiently for a response from the rancher, and noted that her shocked expression gradually evaporated to be replaced by another look. He saw recognition flash in her eyes, followed by a wide grin. To his own shock and horror, he felt the cool metal from the barrel of a gun press tightly against the back of his head. A deep and slightly accented voice broke the silence of the room.

"Natalie is coming with me," Barsad growled. "Step away from her." John turned around slowly, caught off guard by the mercenary's presence. He raised his hands above his head, and stepped away carefully. He had not been expecting a standoff in his own home. Barsad nodded in approval at his retreat, and began to move to Natalie's side.

The young cop slowly reached for his gun that he kept on his belt. As he grabbed it, he was met with a pistol to the side of his face, knocking him off balance. The mercenary had been expecting that move, and had cut the other man off before he had a chance to draw his weapon. While John tried to regain his balance, Barsad, kicked his feet out from under him, knocking him to the floor. He quickly grabbed the cuffs that the cop kept on his belt, and cuffed one of his hands to the bed frame, while kicking his gun out of reach.

Once satisfied that the young cop was secured, he moved to Natalie's side. He helped her to her feet, and she draped her arm tightly around his shoulders, so that she could stand and walk effectively. The mercenary threw a glance at John as he helped the rancher through the doorway. "Do not follow us," he commanded harshly. His words contained a hidden meaning of what would happen to him, should he choose to ignore those orders.

Barsad helped Natalie out the door, and into the unmarked, black SUV waiting in the driveway. They wasted no time in leaving Gotham. Neither one of them spoke for some time, not knowing where they needed to go from there.

Finally, Barsad broke the silence. "I had feared that you were dead," he remarked grimly. "I looked for your body, and would have never found you if that strange man had not tipped me off."

Natalie quirked an eyebrow at his words. "What man?" she asked, confusion clouding her features. "I don't know," Barsad replied honestly. "I never really saw what he looked like. He was wearing some kind of cloak with a hood. Said no one could know that he was there, and that his identity would be revealed in good time. He did tell me that you were alive, and where I could find you. He wants to talk to you too, says he has a proposition for you."

The mercenary smirked at the absurdity of his words. "I don't trust him," he added as an afterthought. Natalie snorted at his blatant dislike for the unknown man. "Well he was certainly right about me being alive," she commented. "And he led you straight to me, so I want to talk to this man. Maybe he knows something about Bane."

At that statement, Barsad's eyes went dark, and he hung his head in defeat. "Bane's lost to us," he said sadly. "I sent Red into the CIA compound, and he heard them talking about how he had his memory erased. He won't know us anymore. To go after him is a death wish, and that's assuming that you could get through all of the guards. Red says it's impossible."

The mercenary glanced at her, his expression growing grave. "You need to come to terms with the fact that he's not the man that you love anymore," Barsad said softly. "Even if we were able to get him out of there somehow, he's probably never going to be the same. I know that you wanted to leave and start fresh. This is your chance. I know that you loved him, and I will never be Bane, but I will go with you, and protect you, for as long as you ask it of me."

Natalie pursed her lips in forced acceptance of his words, and a steely look of determination overtook her features. "It doesn't matter what I wanted anymore," she growled. "They took him from me, and I will not leave him to die at the hands of politicians and scientists. I will rescue him, or die trying. I know that he would do the same for me." Barsad merely nodded, knowing that she would not change her mind, and dropped the subject.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Natalie and Barsad arrived at their newest hideout, which was an old, abandoned warehouse, just outside of Langley, Virginia, around dusk. Blackjack met them at the entrance, tail wagging, and excited to see them. Natalie ran to him, her paralysis from the botulinum toxin almost completely gone, and embraced her dog with more happiness than she could have thought possible. At least one thing in her world was as it should be.

She ran her hands through the black shepherd's thick fur, lost in the comfort that the dog brought her, until she heard shouting from within the hideout. The rancher reluctantly let go of Blackjack, and ran inside to see what all of the commotion was about.

"I let her out to go to the bathroom, and that bitch stole my wallet!" Dmitri shouted, his thickly accented voice filled to the brim with anger. The object of his wrath sat calmly in a chair a few feet in front of him.

Selina Kyle was bound to the chair with ropes around her hands and feet. She was still in her Catwoman costume, but the men had taken her mask, revealing her identity. "Me?" she replied coyly, toying with the Russian. "Why would I do such a thing?" Dmitri lost his temper, and pulled out his knife, intending to take care of the problem. His anger faded to surprise, when Natalie stepped in between the Russian and the cat burglar.

"That's enough Dmitri," she commanded calmly, her voice carrying an unspoken threat. "She stole my wallet!" the Russian spat. "Bitch deserves to die." We find her hiding in the woods, and we take her in, and feed her. This is how she repays us.

Natalie laughed at his anger. "Thievery is hardly deserving of death," she muttered, amused. "You are a professional Dmitri. If she managed to steal your wallet without your knowledge, then I would say that she deserves to keep your money." The Russian scowled, obviously not amused, but he let it go, respecting the rancher's authority.

Natalie chuckled to herself before heading to the room in the warehouse that Barsad had prepared for her. The room was just an old office, but a cot had been set up for her use, along with some canned foods, and water bottles. She would have to make a decision soon about what to do with their captive, but for now, she really just wanted some time alone to think and grieve.

She missed Bane terribly, and the thought of him not ever being the same was too much for her to handle right now. She would cross that bridge when she got to it. Right now, her only focus was how to get him out of the CIA complex, and she was willing to do, or sacrifice anything to make that happen.

Natalie had been deep in thought for several hours when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in," she responded quietly. Barsad opened the door in haste, his mussed up hair in his face, and a hint of concern on his features.

"The man I spoke to you about," he began quickly. "The one who told me where I could find you. He's here, and he wants to talk to you." Natalie's eyes widened in surprise at his words. How did this man find them? She nodded to Barsad, indicating that she would speak to the man, and then followed him out into the main area of the warehouse.

Standing in the middle of the room was a man of average height, wearing a black cloak. She could not see his face, and it bothered her to some extent. "Why are you here, and how did you find us?" Natalie asked as she approached the man. Blackjack placed himself in between her and the strange men, growling slightly, and Red and Dmitri both trained their pistols on the man's head.

He grinned at her beneath the cloak, and chuckled at her boldness. "How I found you is irrelevant," he began. "I'm here because I have something that you want." He was straight to the point, and Natalie appreciated his professionalism. "What could you possibly have that I want?" she challenged him, her words and her glare daring him to lie to her.

"I know that you want to free your lover, Bane, from the clutches of the government," the man continued. "I happen to work for the CIA. I have access to security codes, identification badges, surveillance, the works. I can get you in without alerting any suspicion."

Natalie took his words in with obvious disbelief. "And how do I know that you're telling me the truth?" she asked bluntly. The man pulled the hood of his cloak down slowly, exposing his face to her. The revelation of his identity came as a shock to the rancher, and she tried to hide her surprise, as he noted that she was sizing her up.

"I apologize for hiding my identity until now," he began. "But it was a necessary precaution, as I am always being watched." Natalie nodded in understanding. "What do you want in exchange for this information?" she asked, getting straight to the point. "I know that you're not here out of the kindness of your heart."

The man laughed, his dark eyes dancing. "You're a sharp one," he noted. "And you are correct. I am not here out of kindness or pity. I will give you what you need to get Bane, but in return, you have to do something for me."

Natalie did not hesitate on giving him an answer. "Name your price."

**So this chapter was eh… I feel like it's kind of jumpy since I had to write it a little bit at a time, but you be the judge of that. I also feel like I answered some questions in this chapter, but opened up others, so if you're confused about anything, let me know, and I'll be happy to PM you, and answer any questions you might have. Anyways…. I'll try to get the next chapter up quicker, but we'll see how it goes. Please review! Your reviews give me purpose and help me focus. This story would not be worth my time if I didn't feel like you wanted to read it, so let me know what you think!**


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